


Golden Hour

by KalluraIcedCoffee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Character Death, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, Kallura Month 2018, Magic, Pining, Sex, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-23 08:29:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 36,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16155362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KalluraIcedCoffee/pseuds/KalluraIcedCoffee
Summary: "I used to get sadAnd lonely when the sun went downIt's different now'Cause I love the light that I've foundIn youBaby don't you know?You're my golden hourThe color of my skyYou've set my world on fireAnd I know, I know everything's gonna be alright"- Golden Hour, Kacey MusgravesA collection of drabbles and one shots for Kallura Month 2018





	1. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rebirth
> 
> And if we get separated I’ll find you, just like I did in this life...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece connects to my previous collection for Kallura Week 2018, My Favorite Color Is You. You don’t have to have read it necessarily to read this, but it will make a lot more sense if you do. Also thank you to Tybalt_tisk, whose comment on that last chapter, At The End of the World With You, inspired the direction I chose to go in to start off this collection.

_“I’m scared.”_

_Her voice broke and tears streamed down her dirty bruised cheeks. She hadn’t really cried much since all this happened, since the virus broke. She wanted to be strong for him, never wanted to be the weak link between the two of them, never a burden. He brought his free hand over and pulled her face toward his, kissing her temple, then her lips._

_“I am too, but you know what? We’re together and where ever we go after this we’ll be together there too. And if we get separated I’ll find you, just like I did in this life.”_

_She wept and returned his kisses, long and slow and as passionate as she could give considering she could feel herself getting weaker and drifting farther away with each moment._

_“I love you Keith. I knew I loved you from the first moment I saw you” she rambled while she knew she was still coherent enough to say it._

_“I love you too Mrs. Kogane. You’re all I could’ve asked for.”_

_He looked into her eyes which were becoming increasingly faded and cloudy. She was going to turn soon. He had seen this before. He rested his forehead against hers._

_The mop handle rattled in the door and started to push and crack as the groaning on the end intensified. They were like two sitting ducks, easily seen through the glass windows._

_“Damn they sure know how to ruin a romantic moment don’t they?” He smirked._

_More shoving, more groaning, more wood bending and cracking._

_“I have three bullets in the gun.” She patted the holster at her hip._

_“And let those monsters feast on my pretty wife’s body? I would never give them the pleasure.” He pulled a grenade out of his pack and shook it at her._

_“You had one left?”_

_“In case of emergencies. If we go might as well take those assholes with us.”_

_“You think of everything…” she whispered, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder one final time, squeezing his hand tightly with her last remaining bits of strength._

_“Which is funny because you’re supposed to be the brains, I’m just the good looks” he quipped._

_She didn’t respond._

_The glass in doors gave way and shattered on the floor as the wooden handle finally snapped. The sounds of moans and shuffling feet entered the store as Keith yanked the pin out with his teeth and rolled it at their feet._

_“You know Lu,” he closed his eyes, rested his head against hers and waited, “if I had to see the end of the world with anyone, I’m glad it was with y-”_

Allura jolted up in bed, sweat soaked strands of hair sticking to her temple, her tank top damp and clinging to her body. She snatched up the water glass on her nightstand, gulping down its contents until there was nothing left.

The dreams were getting more frequent, feeling more real. Flashes of moments with a man she didn’t know, that she’s never met.

When she closed her eyes it was like she was living a million different lives, a million different possibilities…with him.

Sometimes she was a brave paladin escorting a prince to a ball, a princess healing her lover’s wounds, an older businesswoman letting a stranger push her buttons in all the ways that she liked.

“Do you believe in soulmates?” Allura asked at the breakfast table.

Alfor was hidden behind a newspaper which ruffled briefly.

“Let me guess, you met a boy” he replied as he reached for his coffee.

“Father I’m serious.”

“I’m not sure my flower, but I think things happen for a reason. So now tell me about this boy.” He lowered the paper from his face with a smile.

“There’s no boy dad!” Her mouth curled into a pout before she quickly shoveled toast into it in irritation.

There was a boy, but she wasn’t about to explain said boy only existed in her head.

Alfor chuckled at his daughter’s stubbornness.

“Will you be joining me for dinner tonight dear or do you have class?” He tried to change the subject.

“No class, work today so I won’t be home until 7.” Allura popped up and began putting her plate in the sink.

She kissed her father’s cheek and rushed out the door.

“You’re late” Shiro stood, leaning against a car with his arms crossed as Allura peddled into the driveway of Shirogane Autobody.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Allura hopped off her bicycle and walked it toward her boss. “I’ve been sleeping like crap lately.

“Studying for finals?” He popped the hood on the car he was working on before strolling over to the tool bench.

“Um…yes…” Her eyes darted nervously.

“Well let me know if you need some time off.”

“No it’s fine.” Allura waved him away.

“All right well then do me a favor and finish up on that motorcycle over there, needs tire replacement. I thought I’d have time to get to it before the client came this afternoon but I’m swamped.” Shiro pointed to the red bike.

Allura nodded while zipping up her jumpsuit, pulling her hair into a ponytail. She yanked her phone out of her bag, slipped earphones into her ear and got to work. Listening to music put her in a zone and she lost track of time. She didn’t notice the figure standing over her as she knelt polishing the bike as she finished up.

“You didn’t have to do that, but thanks.”

Allura was startled by the sudden sound of another voice and immediately plucked the earphones from her ears, nearly falling over as she did so. She turned and looked up toward the sound and her mouth fell open.

It was him. The literal man of her dreams. Her heart vibrated in her chest.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” His brow furrowed with the way she was looking at him.

“Uh…It’s fine. Your…y-your bike is ready” she stammered nervously.

He smiled and extended a hand.

“Can I help you up?”

Her hands trembled slightly as her hand approached his and the moment her fingers curled into his, the moment they touched, all her dreams flashed through her and him in rapid succession.

_“You should smile more. It’s quite nice when you do.”_

_“Look I know I stated earlier I didn’t need an escort but, if you don’t have anyone to attend with do you think we could go together? I’m more nervous than I thought.”_

_“You said it yourself, this may be the only moments we have together for a long time…I miss you.”_

_“…I just moved in next door. I’m sorry to bother you and I know it’s late but I just had a hankering to bake some cookies and I realize I have like no sugar.”_

_“You know I’m not so sure about that. I think you like disobeying because then that means you get punished and you enjoy that.”_

_“I’m in love with you.”_

_“I am too, but you know what? We’re together and where ever we go after this we’ll be together there too. And if we get separated I’ll find you, just like I did in this life.”_

_And if we get separated I’ll find you, just like I did in this life._

 

_I’ll find you, just like I did in this life._

_I’ll find you…_

 

He stared at her, eyes wide and fearful yet knowing because he saw it all and suddenly the dreams he’d been having lately all started to make sense. A woman with white hair whose face was always obscured from him, a puzzle he couldn’t solve until right at this moment. She held his hand so tightly she thought she might break it, realizing they weren’t dreams, that she was really seeing the person she was meant to be with in every reality, in ever incarnation of themselves.

“K-Keith?” she said, voice shaky and hesitant. She hadn’t known his name when he walked in but she knew it now. She knew everything about him now.

“Allura?” He’s eyes frantically darted about her face. “My god I actually found you…”

Tears began to well in his eyes.

“Hey Altea when you’re done with that motorcycle can you do an oil change on the-”

Shiro approached to see Allura and the customer holding hands. He stared, blinked.

The interruption, the sound of Shiro’s voice, surprised them both and they flinched, letting go of each other’s hands.

And when they let go, the clarity went with it, the memory of a million lives together extinguished like a candle in the wind.

“Am I interrupting something?” Shiro’s brow arched as he wiped his hands on a rag.

The two looked at each other, confused, shrugging.

“What are you talking about?” Allura said.

“Uh,” now it was her boss’ turn to be confused, “nevermind I guess, can you do a brake repair on the Ford when you’re finished here?”

“Mhm, sure thing!”

Shiro left them alone to get back to work.

“So um, if you want to follow me I can get you checked out.” Allura waved him over to the office.

“Thanks.” Keith followed.

Allura stepped behind the desk and pulled his information up on the computer.

“Mr. Kogane?” Allura looked up from the screen.

“Yeah.”

“Nice to meet you Mr. Kogane, my name is Allura and I hope you’ll be satisfied with the work we did today.”

She flashed him a smile and his heart fluttered a bit. Even in a grease covered jumpsuit she was awfully pretty.

“Keith.”

“Hmm?”

“Mr. Kogane sounds like my dad. Call me Keith.”

He leaned on the counter with a smirk.

“Ok.” She blushed and bit her lip. She was just now noticing how handsome he was. “Nice to meet you Keith.”

He liked the way she said his name in her accent. Maybe he would come by later in the week to get an oil change, even though his bike wasn’t really ready for one. He just suddenly felt like he needed to find another opportunity to see her, to get to know her, though he’d simply chalk it up to a small crush.

But it was more than that…

 

_We’re together and where ever we go after this we’ll be together there too._


	2. Signal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frequency
> 
> Once in a while, you speak to me

Allura lifted the lid off the box after tearing off the thick brown paper it was wrapped in, her phone wedged between her ear and shoulder. She peered inside as she peeled back the tissue paper. Her silence spoke volumes.

“Do you like it?” her mother asked.

“Uh…it’s lovely.” She rolled her eyes, glad Melanor wasn’t there to see it.

“It’s a vintage ham radio. It belonged to your grandfather. Your father found it in the attic and we thought you’d enjoy it!”

“Oh yes, it’s great!” Allura said with feigned cheerfulness.

“Ah well have fun with it! You might come across some really interesting people!”

Yes, that’s exactly what Allura wanted to do, chat with weirdos with this old piece of junk.

“Can’t wait!”

“Well I’ll let you go, I’m sure you’re quite busy with your studies. We love you darling, happy birthday!”

“Thanks mum, love you too!”

Allura hung up at sat at her desk. She didn’t want to sound ungrateful but she would have preferred they send her money instead. Oh well, at least it would be a cool decorative conversation piece should she ever have guests in her room.

It had been a few months now since Allura moved abroad to study. While her schooling was covered with a scholarship that’s about all the money covered so the best affordable housing she could find was a small little studio cottage that was part of a larger property owned by an elderly retired couple named Sam and Colleen out in the countryside. It actually wasn’t a bad set up at all except for the long bike ride into town where she would then take the train into the city to attend classes and work after that. Days were long, but it was nice to come back to a nice home cooked meal with a husband and wife who clearly missed having kids in the house.

After one such long day Allura dragged herself to her little cottage and after a lengthy shower plopped down on her bed. She was exhausted and yet sleep was evading her for some reason. There was no television, she didn’t have the brain power to concentrate on a book and browsing social networking sites on her phone always made her feel homesick. Her gaze eventually fell on the ham radio. She lifted herself out of bed and into her desk chair where she connected the speakers and small microphone to the radio, connected all the necessary wires and plugged it in. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing, figuring she’d just twirl the tuner until she picked something up.

Dead air, dead air, static, static over barely audible talking, dead air, static, weather report, static, static.

She almost flipped the radio off when she gave the tuner one final rotation and sound cut through clear as day.

A male voice, soft and a little raspy singing, an acoustic guitar strumming in the background.

“You don’t have a care in the world do you? Even if you did, you would know the truth. You keep it quiet. You keep it quiet…”

Allura’s eyes went wide, partly in surprise that she’d finally stumbled upon something, but also because something about his voice made her heart shiver.

“But once in a while you’ll speak to me…”

She crossed her arms on her desk, resting her head upon them as she closed her eyes and tried to picture the person on the other end.

“You don’t need to show all your cards at once. Everybody needs to keep a few in reserve. You keep it quiet. You keep it quiet. But once in awhile you’ll speak to me…”

He continued to sing and she was almost lulled to sleep when he finished playing.

“I hope you liked that song, whoever is out there. If anyone is out there. Sometimes I wish someone would say something, but it is kind of nice being able to play without judgment y’know?” The mystery  musician laughed.

Allura smiled, chuckled to herself. She kind of liked to idea of listening to someone who didn’t know she was there but at the same time she was incredibly tempted to tell him how beautiful his playing was, his voice was.

She could pipe up just this once and never ever again, or go back to being a silent observer. Living here out in the country, there wasn’t much to do and this was honestly the most exciting thing to happen in a while. If it went horribly wrong she’d just turn the radio off. That’s it. She pulled the mic to her mouth and took a deep breath and pushed the button.

“I think it was lovely” she said softly before pushing her chair back away from the table nervously.

There was a silence on his end.

She waited.

More silence.

She scared him off. She must’ve. She sighed and leaned forward to turn off the radio and go to bed.

“Y-you…you think so?” A voice cut in just as her fingers hovered over the power button. His speaking voice was equally soothing.

Her heart began racing. Should she respond? Run away? She should respond, after all she let her presence be known in the first place.

“Yes, I liked it a lot.”

Another pause.

“Thanks. No one ever responds. It’s nice to hear another voice. How long have you been here?”

 “I just got this thing a few days ago for my birthday.”

“Birthday? Well happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

She could hear some fiddling and random strumming of the guitar on his end.

“Happy birthday to you,” he started to sing softly, “happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear stranger, happy birthday to you.”

“Allura” she blurted out, then immediately regretted it.

“Allura? That’s really pretty. I’m Keith. Nice to meet you Allura.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

She felt a fluttering in her stomach.

“Well I should go to bed. It’s been a long day” she added quickly before she rambled off any other personal information.

“Oh…” he sounded a bit disappointed before adding a, “yeah it’s late here too. Well thank you for listening Allura. Maybe we can talk again sometime.”

“That would be nice…well goodnight Keith.”

“Goodnight.”

She turned off the radio.

And went to bed.

Wishing she could hear the song just one more time.

“Will you be going to the meteor shower festival tonight dear?” Colleen asked as she sat at the table the next morning with her mug of tea.

“Hmm? The what?” Allura was busy shoveling pancakes in her mouth.

“The meteor shower festival. They hold it in town. Lots of food and nice company and then we all go to the hill and watch the shower” Sam answered as he lowered his paper.

“It’s a nice reason to get out of the house. We’d love it if you’d come with us dear, I think you’d like it.” Colleen nodded.

She didn’t have anything else to do, it being one of the few days she had without work or school.

“Sure!” She smiled.

“Splendid.” Sam beamed.

That night the trio piled into the couple’s little old sedan and drove into town which was the most packed Allura had ever seen it. Allura stuck respectfully close to Sam and Colleen but when they noticed how much her eyes were wandering they decided to let go of the leash.

“Feel free to go explore my dear, I’m sure a young lady such as yourself doesn’t want to hang out with a bunch of old folks all evening.” Colleen smiled.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, we’ll meet up over there when the shower starts and find a place to sit.”

Allura grinned and nodded and quickly disappeared into the crowd. She hit up some food stands, watched patrons participate in carnival like games, purchased a flower crown from one of the vendors and made her way toward a tiny stage where someone was playing music. A small crowd had gathered to watch a dark haired young man on the stage with an acoustic guitar. Allura noticed how handsome he was. Nice to know there were actually cute boys her age in this town. He’d just finished the previous song and people were clapping when he prepared to start the next.

“This is a little something I wrote recently. I haven’t really played it for anyone else yet, but a woman with a beautiful voice said it was lovely so I think I’m doing something right.” He smiled and the crowd chuckled.

He licked his lips, adjusted his fingers and began.

“You don’t have a care in the world do you? Even if you did, you would know the truth. You keep it quiet. You keep it quiet. But once in a while you’ll speak to me…”

Allura’s heart dropped into her stomach.

“You don’t need to show all your cards at once. Everybody needs to keep a few in reserve. You keep it quiet. You keep it quiet. But once in awhile you’ll speak to me…”

At that moment her body was caught in his pull and soon she was gently pushing through the crowd to get to the front of the stage. When she broke through and was able to see him up close all she could do was stare, eyes wide, biting her lip.

He made eye contact with her and smiled as he sang, having no clue who she was but glad to see there were pretty girls in this town his age.

And then her mouth started moving, singing along to a song he had never played before except one other time, in the privacy of his bedroom, over his dad’s old ham radio. A song that a girl with a charming voice had complimented. He quickly tried to hide the surprise plastered over his face, tried to play it cool and schmooze the crowd as he finished up the song, but his eyes kept darting back to her.

The song finished and everyone clapped. He bowed slightly and thanked them for their time adding something about the final acting coming on soon before the shower started and exited the stage. He looked back at her one last time before he walked off.

Allura quickly slinked out of the mass of bodies, looking for where he had gone to, not sure of what she’d say when she saw him. It wasn’t appropriate to just waltz behind the stage so she lingered off to the side a ways off and waited to catch a glimpse. He finally emerged with a guitar case in his hand, head turning back and forth. He seemed to be looking for something too.

Once again nervousness bubbled inside her. She should go find Sam and Colleen instead of embarrass herself in front of a boy she met on the radio. If she snuck away now she could easily avoid-

“Hey!” He spotted her and waved as he started to briskly walk over, case swinging in his hand.

Well never mind. She smoothed her sweater down, unsure of what to do with her hands, and settled on gripping the hem in her fists.

“Hi.” She looked down at her shoes.

“Uh…sorry if I’m mistaken but…Allura?”

She kept her face down, but nodded.

He chuckled as a large grin spread across his face.

“It’s me Keith.”

“I figured, by the song. It sounds even better in person” she confessed still too shy to look at him.

“Really?” He perked up.

“Mhm!” She finally lifted her head up and he was caught off guard by her eyes.

They both blushed then looked elsewhere.

“So…” he started to rock back and forth on his heels. “Did you want to walk around a bit before the shower starts? Maybe talk…or not talk, we can just look at stuff” he rambled.

“Sure.” She smiled.

They did talk, quite a bit once they moved past their jitters. She told him about her recent move here for school and he told her how he worked full time in his mom’s shop to help out after his dad passed. They talked about music and how long he’d been playing and she mentioned she’d learned to play piano when she was little but it would be a miracle if she actually remembered anything after all this time.

By now the sun had set and people were beginning to gather on the hill to find their spots for the meteor shower. Allura told Keith of her promise to meet with the older couple she was staying with and he agreed to wait with her.

“Is it ok if he sits with us?” Allura asked after introducing him as a “friend.”

“Of course dear” Colleen replied with a knowing smirk.

The quartet found a nice spot and laid out a blanket. Colleen and Sam gave the younger duo a little space.

“Is this your first meteor shower festival?” Keith asked.

“Yes. We never had anything like this back home.”

“It should start any moment now.” Colleen looked up in anticipation.

“It’s better if you lay back on the blanket honey” Sam suggested.

They did as Sam proposed. Colleen cuddled with her husband. Keith and Allura lay side by side close enough that their arms brushed against each other. When the sky began to fill with the glowing streaks of space rocks burning in the atmosphere there were audible gasps as well as giggles of awestruck children.

“It’s beautiful!” Allura exclaimed softly.

“You should make a wish” Keith said, turning his head toward her.

She faced him, still able to see a faint glint in his eyes as the sky lit up behind him.

“I wish I could hear more of your songs” she whispered.

He bit his lip while letting his fingers graze hers. She didn’t move her hand away.

“I think I could make that happen…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song I have Keith singing here is ["Speak to Me" by Robin Loxley & Smudge Mason](https://youtu.be/I43zfiYa8PQ). I love it and it's part of my personal Kallura playlist which maybe I'll share someday.


	3. Record

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Press Play
> 
> You can’t rewind, you can only move forward

_…might explain why I was never really good at connecting with people…_

Keith exits the room wiping the dampness from under his eyes, feeling shaken as the door slides shut behind him.

_I don’t know why I’m that way._

_Maybe… I’m naturally untrusting because my mom left me and so instead of accepting people into my life I push them away before they reject me?_

_I guess I have some walls up._

He feels embarrassed, foolish. He hadn’t gone in thinking he was going to reveal as much as he did, that he was going to end up feeling as much as he did. Yes the vlogs are personal but that was too personal.

He goes looking for Coran, who occasionally stays up late to do maintenance work in uninterrupted peace and quiet on the bridge, but instead finds someone who is as stubborn about going to bed at a reasonable hour as he is.

“You should be resting” he says.

“And what about you?”

Allura keeps her back to him. The bridge is dark, save for the light of the stars and the faint blue and pink glow of the maps she has pulled up, waving her hands as she scrolls through them.

“You work too hard.” Keith stands beside her.

“War never sleeps.” She turns to him with a gentle smile.

He was hoping to have this conversation with Coran but perhaps this is better. Coran has an “embarrassing uncle” quality to him and he could use a little dignity and grace right now rather than some antidote about how “everyone cries once in a while my good boy!”

“Uh, princess, I was wondering…is it possible to um…delete the vlogs?”

“Delete the vlogs?”

“I finished recording just now and…I don’t really want to get into it, but I’d prefer if I could get a do-over if you get what I mean.”

Allura looked pensive, tapping her finger to her lips.

“Did you say something you wish you hadn’t?” she asked after a long pause.

“A lot of things. Like I said, I don’t really want to get into it.”

She nodded before motioning her hands to make the maps disappear.

“Come sit with me” she commanded gently, walking toward the edge of the platform where she normally stood to pilot the ship.

His station as her paladin kicked in and he took her hand to help her lower herself down before taking his place beside her.

“Keith, we can delete the vlogs of course, but…I don’t think you should.”

He didn’t respond.

“The vlogs aren’t just for posterity but a documentation of your personal growth, your journey. You might be feeling vulnerable about things at the moment, but that may not be how you feel in the future. The man you are now is but a rung on the ladder toward the man you will become. I think it’s important to learn from it rather than erase it and pretend it didn’t happen.”

She placed a hand over his, patting it softly a few times before pulling away slowly, dragging her fingertips across his skin.

“And maybe someday there will be a paladin who is also experiencing similar frustrations who will see you and realize they are not alone.”

Keith took a deep breath.

“I got emotional” he admitted.

“Do not feel shame in that. If it puts you at ease I blubbered like a child when Red didn’t choose me.” Allura smiled weakly as she stared out at the stars.

Keith looked at her then, his face brimming with worry.

“I’m sorry. I know how important piloting your father’s lion was to you.”

“It’s all right.”

“You can have Black if you want” he joked.

“Oh heavens no, too much pressure!” She laughed.

“Oh thanks, that makes me feel better.” He chuckled and nudged her shoulder with his.

Allura yawned.

“You should get to bed” he said.

“I’ll go when you go.”

“You’re gonna regret calling my bluff cause I never sleep.”

Allura yawned again and leaned over to rest on his shoulder. His heart skipped a beat as his nostrils filled with the scent of her hair.

“Then I guess we’ll be here all night.”

She was stubborn, but he knew if he was patient enough, like 10 or 15 more minutes worth of patience, she’d fall asleep first and he’d just carry her back to her room.

“So what is the verdict?” she inquired quietly after a bit of silence.

“I won’t delete it.”

“Good.”

“But no one is allowed to watch it.”

“But what if I trip on one of the mice and accidentally land on the ‘play’ button?”

“Princess…”

“Just trying to cover every possibility.”

“Mhm.”

Allura yawned again, this time much longer than before.

“I’m just going to rest my eyes for a second, but I’m not going to sleep.” She snuggled a little to get more comfortable.

“Of course.”

Just a little bit longer now.

“Hey Allura?” He spoke up one last time, his voice almost a whisper.

“Yes?”

He turned his head, letting her soft tresses brush against his cheek.

“Thanks, for talking with me.”

“You’re welcome Keith. Anytime.”


	4. I'm Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Take Your Breath Away
> 
> When death comes for you but hesitates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter contains death and one slightly nsfw scene. It's October I had to get a little bit dark and angsty.

Keith missed his opportunity several times.

Or perhaps missed isn’t the proper term.

To say the opportunity was missed would imply it was accidental or unintentional. Truth is he had plenty of opportunities and he purposely failed to act. He didn’t have the heart to do it. The irony.

He thought, maybe he would just push her in front of this train, but the idea of her beautiful body being mangled in such a way upset him.

Then he thought he would make her choke on the apple she ate as she sat on said train, but with so many people around surely someone would help her.

Perhaps a tumble down the stairs as she exited the station? But falling would be painful. He didn’t want there to be pain.

Just make it quick. Make it quick so she doesn’t know it’s coming. Make it quick so her suffering isn’t prolonged anymore. That’s all he had to do. He reached out a hand as she stood at the top of the staircase checking her phone. Just a nudge. Just fucking do it. He choked. She descended the stairs without incident and exited the building out onto the street.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to do it? I don’t mind.” Shiro stands on the roof of a building, arms crossed.

“I can handle it.” Keith stares out at the setting sun. He sits on the ledge, legs dangling over the side.

“Are you sure? I mean the fact that you’re even trying to speed up the time table...she’s not due for another two months.”

“I’m sure she’d rather go quickly with some damn dignity, than wither away.”

“Is that what she wants or what you want?”

Keith says nothing.

“Well I’ll leave you to it, but be careful. If they suspect you’re not up to the task they’ll reassign you and the next reaper may not be so…gentle.”

“I’m aware” Keith grumbles.

Shiro shrugs and decides to leave him be, disappearing in a flurry of black feathers.

He can do this.

On second thought, no he can’t.

He absolutely cannot.

It’s obvious as he’s sitting on the floor pressed against the wall in her bedroom, watching her struggle to breathe as she’s dragging herself across the rug toward a medicine bottle at his feet. His lip quivers as tears threaten to spill over. She can’t see him, but he can see her. He watched when she clutched her chest and when she knocked over the bottle on her desk as she reached for it and when the bottle rolled away as she collapsed.

All he’d have to do is sit there and ride it out and this would all be over, but he can’t. So he does something incredibly stupid and kicks the bottle over, now fully blubbering. Her eyes widen as the bottle suddenly recoils back into her fingertips.

She screws off the cap as quickly as she can in her weak condition. Her heart is pounding. She pops two pills into her mouth and swallows while lying slumped on her side. Her breath is hoarse and shallow as her vision blurs, fading in and out. She meets eyes with a dark figure sitting there before she passes out.

Keith avoids her for a little while. The incident shook him which is pathetic because as a reaper he’s seen death so many times he’s lost count. He is a literal bringer of death but he can’t take her. He can’t imagine this world continuing on without her light, her smile, her kindness. It’s just too good to be extinguished.

He knows he can’t keep going like this. He has to move on. He just wants to be with her a few more times before he hands over the job to Shiro. He can trust Shiro to be kind about it.

After a few days of burning her routine, her mannerisms, the sound of her voice into his memory he sits on the bannister of her studio apartment balcony watching her water her small group of potted plants one last time. She places the watering can down and sighs.

“Am I going crazy or are you real?” She says softly out loud.

Keith’s brow arches. He’s heard her talk to herself before in passing but not quite like this.

“Or are you an angel?”

He realizes now she’s staring straight at him.

“Well?” She’s expecting and answer.

“Oh shit you can see me” he mutters under his breath, but it’s still rather audible.

“So you ARE an angel!” She perks up and approaches him. He holds his hands out to stop her in her tracks.

“Not exactly…” He’s still staring at her like she’s the strange one between the two of them.

“You have to be a guardian angel, you’ve been watching over me ever since my last…incident. I’ve seen you.” She looks down momentarily with a frown before glancing back up at him with those big blue hopeful eyes.

Keith avoids her gaze. He should lie, let her believe he’s meant to protect her rather than what he’s really here to do. But he just…can’t.

“I’m, I’m not an angel.”

Her forehead crinkles.

“Then what are you? A ghost?”

“I’m a,” he lets out a loud sigh, “a reaper.”

Allura blinks as her mind processes it.

“It’s what it sounds like” he adds with a sullen expression.

When the realization clicks her face falls and she steps back from him but is weirdly not fearful of him. Instead she just sits on the ground by the plants she was tending to. She chuckles in almost defeated way.

“That makes sense too” she says softly.

“I’m sorry…” Keith slides down off the banister and crouches in front of her.

“It’s because I’ve been so sick. It seems like nothing the doctors suggest works for very long.”

“They could figure something out eventually.” He tries to reassure her.

“If that was true you wouldn’t be here would you?” She smiles up at him.

Keith falls silent.

“What’s your name?”

“Keith.”

“Keith, I’m Allura, but I’m sure you knew that.” She holds out her hand.

He takes it, shakes it gently and she seems a bit surprised that he’s actually corporeal.

“So, since you’re being so honest, how does it happen?”

He bites his lip and shakes his head.

“Allura you don’t-”

“Yes I do or else I wouldn’t have asked.”

Keith pinches the bridge of his nose. He doesn’t want to do this.

“Two months from now. Your health gets worse. All they can do is medicate to ease some of your discomfort. It’s…not pleasant.”

“I see…”

She’s been fiddling with her dress and now she’s gripping the fabric in her fists.

“If it’s two months from now then why are you here?”

“Honestly?”

“Please.”

“I didn’t want you to suffer. I was hoping I could work something out a little more peaceful or instant or I don’t know.” He runs a hand through his hair.

That earns him a sympathetic smile.

“That’s awfully nice of you.”

Despite how honest he’s been with her up to this point he’s not about to spill everything, like how he ended up falling in love with her after she was assigned to him, after he spent so much time watching over her, and that he’s not just meddling with her death out of the goodness of his heart.

“So…” she treads lightly, “could I choose then? When I’m ready? Could you do that for me?”

He’d do anything she wanted of him. Does she know she doesn’t even have to ask?

“Yes.”

She grins with a confirming nod. After that all she tells him is “I’ll let you know” and things seemingly go back to normal although Keith does notice some slight changes.

She spends more time with family and friends, making sure to tell them in subtle ways how much she loves them. She makes sure to document this time together. She tries to cross some of the more feasible items off her bucket list like taking a hip hop dance class and getting a tattoo. She eats ice cream for dinner every other night.

One day she asks Keith if he can make it so other people can see him.

“Yeah why?”

“I was thinking we could…” she’s holding said bucket list in her hand, crinkling it, “go on a date?”

His eyes go wide.

“I’ve never been on an amusement park date, I haven’t been on a lot of dates really…people don’t know how to deal with someone who’s so sick all the time.” She looks down at the crumpled paper in her hand.

This is a terrible idea. He’s already attached enough as is. Shiro would be reprimanding him endlessly right now if he knew that Keith had even made his presence known to her in the first place. He needs to set some boundaries.

“Sure.”

Idiot.

She lights up with a huge grin and he realizes he never stood a chance.

She dresses up, does her hair and makeup. She looks beautiful. She takes him by the hand as if it was always hers to hold. He goes on every ride she wants to go on even the loopy ones and the super high free fall ones. The only thing that scares him is how badly he wants her and how easy it is to forget that this is all playing pretend.

They hit up all the fairway games. He tries funnel cake for the first time. He’d forgotten what food tasted like or that it could be this delicious and he inhales it, devouring most of it before remembering he’s supposed to share it with Allura. She drags him into a photobooth and when the strip of pictures pop out she gives it to him, slipping it into the pocket of his black coat. The night ends on the ferris wheel, her head on his shoulder, silently taking in the lights and sounds.

“Tonight was wonderful, thank you” she whispers.

“No, thank you” he whispers back.

When they get back to her apartment she sits on the bed looking nervous, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

“Keith.”

“Yeah?” He stands by the sliding glass door leading out to the balcony.

“Can I ask another favor?”

“Sure.”

“You can say no if you want.”

“Noted.”

“Well it’s just…since I haven’t been on a lot of dates…and therefore haven’t really had any boyfriends…I’ve never…well…”

Confusion washes over his face. He’s stupid not to realize where this is going.

“Oh please don’t make me say it.”

When it dawns on him what she’s hinting at, he blinks rapidly before standing up straight. He clears his throat.

“Allura I don’t think we shou-”

“It’s ok!” She gives a tight lipped smile and waves him away. “It was silly.”

He comes and sits next to her.

“It’s not silly to want to be with someone at least once.”

They let the silence linger for a while.

“Have you ever been in love?” Allura suddenly asks.

“Yeah…” He clasps his hands and looks down.

“What happened?”

He glances to the side at her before looking forward.

“She never knew how I felt and I couldn’t be with her anyway so there was no point telling her.”

“Lucky…”

Keith chuckles.

“How so?”

“You know, better to have loved and lost then never loved at all.”

“Doesn’t feel that way.”

“Well even if it didn’t work out I wish I could’ve known what it was like. To love, to have someone fall in love with me” she says wistfully.

His conscience is screaming at him, shaking him. He can practically hear Shiro’s voice in his head telling him to stop. The date was pushing it, spending the night with her would be driving over a cliff.

So he slams his foot on the gas.

Idiot.

Before he can second guess himself his hand his cupping her face and their lips touch and his tongue is in her mouth. She’s on his lap. His hands are on her thighs. She hums softly with each kiss. Their clothes form a growing pile on the floor. He brushes the hair from her face. He’s on top of her. He’s inside her. She digs her fingers into his back and moans his name. She wraps her legs around his waist. He gets lost in the moment and almost lets it slip that he loves her. He kisses her passionately and desperately instead. Her hands are pinned above her head, fingers clasped with his. She whimpers, gasps, begs for everything that’s in him to give her, to do to her. When she comes her body feels like fire and electricity all at once. When he comes he sees a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors behind his eyes until it all goes white. Even though she’s spent and a little sore, she asks him to make her feel that way at least one more time and he obliges.

He drifts off briefly and when he wakes in the middle of the night Allura is in her night gown on the balcony staring at the sky.

“Aren’t you tired?” He asks, slipping on his pants after getting up from her bed.

She shrugs, keeping her back to him and her eyes on the stars.

“Keith…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m ready to go now.”

A sudden piercing pain flashes through his chest. Air feels like it’s literally being ripped from his lungs. He hopes he misheard. He wants to mishear. She turns around and faces him.

“If it’s possible for me to remember, I want to remember my last moment just like this.”

Keith hangs his head. Between the two of them it turns out he’s the one wishing for more time.

“How will you do it?”

“I can make you go to sleep…never wake up…no pain” he replies softly, voice shaky.

Allura smiles and passes him, grabbing her phone off the table. She scrolls through her songs, tapping on one of her favorites, sliding the volume all the way up.

“Dance with me.” She takes his hand.

“Allura.”

“This will be the very last favor, promise.” She wraps her arms around his neck with a giggle.

“Not funny.” He pulls her in close, holds her tight.

They begin to sway back and forth as the music plays.

_There's no one in town I know_

_You gave us some place to go_

_I never said thank you for that_

_I thought I might get one more chance_

“Thank you” she whispers in his ear.

“For what?”

“For giving me the best day.”

_What would you think of me now_

_So lucky, So strong, So proud?_

_I never said thank you for that_

_Now I'll never have a chance_

“You gave me the best day too” he replies.

_May angels lead you in_

_Hear you me my friends_

_On sleepless roads, the sleepless go_

_May angels lead you in_

He slides his hand up her back until it’s over the other side of her heart.

He can feel the vibration of it beating through her body.

He starts to slow it down.

_So what would you think of me now_

_So lucky, So strong, So proud?_

_I never said thank you for that_

_Now I'll never have a chance_

_May angels lead you in_

_Hear you me my friends_

_On sleepless roads, the sleepless go_

_May angels lead you in_

“What’s it like on the other side? Have you seen it?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me, should I be scared?”

“No, it’s beautiful.”

_And if you were with me tonight_

_I'd sing to you just one more time_

_A song for a heart so big,_

_God wouldn't let it live_

The slower he gradually makes her heart beat the more lethargic she gets.

Her eyes start to flutter open and closed slowly. Her grip on him loosens.

“Will I get to see you there?” she slurs.

He knows the answer. He can take her to the gate, no further. After that she’s lost to him.

“For a little bit” is all he can give.

_May angels lead you in_

_Hear you me my friends_

_On sleepless roads, the sleepless go_

_May angels lead you in_

Her hands drop from his neck and slide down over his shoulders before dangling loosely at his sides.

The silence between each beat is deafening.

The tears fall then, streaming down his cheeks.

_May angels lead you in_

_Hear you me my friends_

_On sleepless roads, the sleepless go_

_May angels lead you in_

Her head slumps.

He’s holding her up now, holding her so tight. Her toes brush against the ground as he continues to dance. Keith openly sobs as his hand shoots up and clutches the back of her head. He smooths her hair back, placing kisses on her temple.

_On sleepless roads, the sleepless go_

_May angels lead you in_

“Allura…” he whispers against her face knowing she’ll never hear it because she’s already on the other side, “I love you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song referenced in this chapter is ["Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World](https://youtu.be/ZNegXJ0AKtk)


	5. Moving in Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Called a Loofah
> 
> …and yes, get the nice sheets.

There isn’t much to Keith’s shack. In fact, if pressed to be completely honest, Keith would admit it’s kind of a shit hole but he’s been on his own for a while so it’s not like he knows a damn thing about interior decorating and renovations.

The couch has seen better days, the coffee table is a plank of wood propped up by cinderblocks, random sheets count as curtains, the mattress on the bed is worn, the fridge hums loudly at night and the only décor he has is that “alien robot lions are totally real and they’re out in the desert” conspiracy wall he put up before discovering that Voltron was actually indeed a thing. The toilet and shower are both outdoors and if the generator kicks the bucket someday they’re screwed so it is beyond Keith’s comprehension as to why Allura, a real princess, would want to stay here with him before post-war official coalition duties and rebuilding an Altean colony yank them back into space. He tried to convince her staying at the Garrison was more suitable for her, but she insisted this is where she wanted to be. He’s also shocked this old shanty somehow withstood the Galra invasion like some sort of roach surviving a nuclear explosion. The lord works in mysterious ways.

So now he’s standing in a Bed, Bath & Beyond in one of the few major cities left that didn’t get completely demolished when the Sendak attacked freaking the fuck out because when a girl moves in with you, a beautiful girl who’s used to nice things, a beautiful girl who wants to be with you even if your relationship isn’t 100% defined but hell she could have chosen to be with anyone else and yet she picked you so this has to mean something well…well you can’t bring her home to said shit hole. She doesn’t deserve that. She deserves towels that match and 2-ply toilet paper and those puffy scrubby things you hang in the shower and bed sheets, non-scratchy bed sheets without holes in them.

_[2:32 pm] WHAT THE FUCK IS A THREAD COUNT AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?_

Keith fires off a text frantically as he paces the aisle.

_[2:35 pm] Uh…hello to you too and why the hell are you yelling?_

_[2:35 pm] Just answer the question please it’s important!_

_[2:36 pm] Higher the thread count, softer the sheets essentially._

_[2:36 pm]Do girls like soft sheets?_

_[2:36 pm] I see..._

_[2:38 pm]Don’t even start._

_[2:39 pm] So she IS moving in._

_[2:39 pm] Gotta go._

_[2:39 pm] Remember just cause the thread count is high doesn’t mean it’s stain proof tiger:)_

_[2:40 pm] GOTTA GO._

He shoves the phone in his back pocket with a huff vowing to never text Lance for anything ever again. He grabs a pack of sheets that seems “decent for the price” and throws them in the cart. He’s overwhelmed. He should have called Shiro instead. He’s a technical adult who could use the help of an actual adult.

He stops by a nearby grocery story as well and grabs any and everything without rhyme or reason. He doesn’t cook really but she’s barely had earth food or knows what it entails so he could probably trick her into thinking pizza bagels are the finest cuisine. Ooo he can make French toast. He will impress the fuck out of her with French toast in the morning.

After the longest negotiation session of her life, she’s able to convince Coran…and Iverson…and Shiro to let her take a car by herself to get out there and when she’s close his communicator lights up.

Shiiiit, shit shit shit.

He’s not ready for her (in more ways than one). He looks in the mirror. He’s not sure why he slicked back his hair as if this was a date. Or put on cologne as if this was a date. This is way beyond a date. This is cohabitation. Did he remember mouth wash?

Allura parks the utility vehicle out front and Keith comes out to greet her. She’s barely out of the car before she’s already embracing him.

“Hi” he says with a chuckle, rubbing her back.

“Hello.”

“Get here ok?”

“Mhm…”

“Everything ok?” He notices she’s holding on to him tightly.

“It just feels good to finally be here…with you” she says softly.

His heart tickles at little. He takes the small satchel of belongings she has and escorts her to the shack, his stomach doing flips.

She steps through the doorway and looks around, blinking, studying the space and taking everything in. She runs her hands down the wall and finally turns to him with a smile.

“I love it.”

“Really? You don’t have to humor me.”

“It’s small but it’s cozy and warm and you spent time here. Your memories are here, so I’m happy I can share this with you.”

She walks around dragging her fingertips along every item, new and old. His heart calms.

This…this might just work.

Keith wasn’t joking about the pizza bagels for dinner and honestly Allura loves them. She’s been told about pizza before but was wowed to find they could be condensed in a smaller form such as this. She also likes beer. She holds the bottle with both hands and burps out loud for the first time in her entire life, but only once, she’s still a princess.

In retrospect, he should have prepared more, fixed up the place better or got her proper earth clothes, but she was so damn adamant about coming as soon as possible and to be honest he can’t complain as he looks at her now, standing in the back open doorway in nothing but one of his t-shirts and her underwear eating a yogurt cup for dessert, licking the spoon agonizingly slow.

“I love this yahgert. We will definitely have to go to the food mall to get more.” She nods, her high ponytail bobbing.

“Yogurt.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s pronounced yogurt and it’s called a grocery store, not the food mall.”

“Oh, yes of course!” Allura laughs nervously and finishes the last bite.

She skips into the kitchenette to toss the container and put the spoon in the sink.

“You might want to consider pants princess, it’s gonna get cold tonight.”

“I don’t mind.” She smiles as she returns to the back door.

Keith gets up to join her, crossing his arms and leaning against the frame.

“I’ve been surrounded by stars for so long but I never tire of looking at them. And your moon is simply gorgeous.” Allura stares up at the sky in awe.

“Yeah it is.”

He reaches over and pulls her in by her arm so that he can hold her from behind. She lets him for ten whole seconds before turning herself around so she can face him. She brings her hands up until her fingers rest on his jaw line.

“Thank you for letting me stay with you” Allura says softly.

“Thanks for wanting to stay with me.” He moves in.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to be with anyone else” she whispers.

“Welcome home…” Keith grins as he takes her mouth into his, slowly, gently, lingering on the softness of her lips.

He kisses her a few more times before sweeping her up, causing a fit of giggles, taking her inside and kicking the screen door shut behind him.


	6. Fairy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey Listen!
> 
> This was easier when she was just an irritating ball of light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Zelda: Ocarina of Time AU no one asked for, but literally the first thing that popped in my head when I saw "fairy au"

“Hey listen!” the little orb of pink light with wings squeals as it hovers around his head.

“Uh can I listen later? I’m kinda busy at the moment!” Keith yells before ducking and diving out of the way of the giant moblin’s swinging club.

“But I can help!” The fairy flutters wildly. “I know its weakness!”

“And you’re just now telling me?!”

The club connects on the next swing and Keith goes flying. He rolls to a stop and gasps for air as the pain kicks in, his quiver and bow digging into his back. He rolls over with a groan and begins to crawl to his sword and shield as the moblin approaches.

“Well you didn’t ask before!” It bobs up and down.

“I have to ask?!” He roars as the creature grabs him by the ankle before he can reach his weapons and drags him prior to chucking him across the Sacred Forest meadow. He hits a tree and slumps down.

“You said before that I talk too much and not to, and I quote, open my big yap unless you ask for my opinion!”

“Goddamnit Allura!” He wearily drags himself to his feet.

“Please don’t swear at me!”

The moblin charges at him and he tucks and rolls between its legs before it can grab him.

“His back! His back! Shoot him in the back!” she screams.

Keith pulls out an arrow and loads the bow. It takes but a second for him to aim before he sends it flying right into the moblin’s spine. The monster’s body seizes up, it staggers. Keith has another arrow ready and buries it in the back of its head. It lets out a low groan before sinking to its knees and falling over dead with booming thud.

“You did it Keith!” Allura swirls around him happily, a trail of sparkles following after her.

“Yeah…”

He teeters back and forth, the severity of his injuries finally kicking in. He smirks before promptly passing out.

“Oh no! By the great goddess Hylia please be all right!” Allura frantically zooms around him, bouncing against his body.

Her movements become erratic. She’s pretty tapped and doesn’t have enough magic to fully heal him. She needs a recharge and so does he and luckily she just happens to know where the nearest fairy fountain is, but…how to get him there.

“…Shit” she hisses.

She knows what she needs to do, she just doesn’t want to do it. It’s too risky but so is leaving him here while she goes ahead alone. She’s already imagining the worst of the worst. Her precious unconscious Hero of Time getting gobbled up by wolfos or dragged away to the afterlife by a ghostly poe.

She looks around. Other than the giant moblin corpse they’re alone in the wood and there’s still daylight so they’re relatively safe. The halo of pink light around her intensifies, the sparkles get significantly more sparkly, the orb grows and grows and soon her feet touch the ground.

Moments later she hoists him up, tosses his arm over her shoulder, wraps her arm around his waist and drags him through the forest.

“Why are Hylians so damn heavy?” Allura whines as she strains and huffs and grunts, blowing the stray strands of white hair from her face.

When she thinks she can’t drag him any further she’s at the secret entrance, an unassuming rock face covered in vines and she walks right through it as if it was nothing. She nearly tumbles down the small set of stairs due to the extra weight she’s carrying that she barely has control of and when she gets to the bottom she drops him. His body crumples on a marble floor like a rag doll.

“Din give me strength” Allura catches her breath before bending over and wrapping her hands around his wrists.

She pulls him the rest of the way to the shallow glowing pool at the center of a room filled with candles and pillars and statues of the great fairies. She drags him into the cool refreshing healing water and plops down once they’re both completely in the middle. After letting out an exhausted moan, she faints from fatigue.

When Keith comes to, he bolts up with a start. Other than the annoyance of sitting in a dripping wet tunic, he’s never felt better in his entire life. He surveys the room unsure of where he is. Between the design of the place and the faint sound of harps he wonders if he’s dead and this is some kind of heaven. He looks over to see a woman next to him unconscious but luckily face up in the water.

He’s taken aback by her beauty. She wears a pink bra like top with matching sash skirt. Ornate cuffs cover her wrists and ankles. Her pointed ears have him thinking she’s Hylian but then the pink markings on her cheeks and elsewhere on her body…and the shimmery dragonfly-like wings…

He crawls over and scoops her up in his arms and brushes her wet hair from her face.

“Miss? Miss are you ok?”

At first she’s unresponsive.

“Miss?”

He shakes her a bit and she stirs, whimpers. Her eyes slowly open and she looks up at him with the clearest blue eyes.

“K-Keith?” Her hand comes up to gently caress his cheek.

“How do you know my name?”

“How could I not know it?” she asks groggily. She seems very out of it.

“Miss-”

“Why are you being so formal all of the sudden? Figures I have to save your life to get you to finally act like a gentleman. And to think you were telling me to shut up earlier.”

“Wait what are you…”

The gears turn. The puzzle pieces click together. That familiar voice.

He screams and drops her.

“Ow!” She yelps as her head dunks into shallow water and hits the bottom, splashing everywhere.

Keith quickly attempts to rectify his actions and yanks her upright as she coughs and gasps for air.

“Keith!” Allura wails.

“Sorry sorry, don’t cry Lu!”

He tries to touch her and she slaps his hand away.

“I’m sorry I was just caught off guard! I didn’t realize it was you!”

“Isn’t it obvious!”

“Uh…no? It’s not like you ever mentioned you could look like this. In fact when were you planning on telling me you could look like this?”

“The subject never came up.” She shrugs innocently.

Keith pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Allura…” he uses his serious tone.

Allura rubs the back of her head with a guilty expression.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it! When people realize this is our true form it gets complicated. I didn’t want it to get in the way of protecting you…and when I’m small you don’t have to worry about protecting me.”

She pouts. Keith smiles and strokes the top of her soaked head.

“I’ll always worry about protecting you, even when you’re tiny.”

She grins back and leans into his touch.

“Really?”

“Really” he replies softly.

She was right though. Now that Keith knew what she really looked like it was going to get significantly more complicated. It was going to be hard to tell her to stop interrupting him with useless facts at the most inappropriate times if she was going to be looking at him with those eyes while doing it. And that smile. And those legs that went on for days.

He clears his throat and shakes his head hoping that will clear his thoughts.

“So what now?” He climbs to his feet and holds out his hand.

“Perhaps we could lay low and relax for a while?” She takes it and lets him help her up.

“Or we could check out a dungeon.”

“Or we could take a nap.”

“Or explore a cave for rupees.”

“Or get a snack?”

“Or take on a giant skull-”

“Keith!” She whimpers and grabs his arm. “I just got you healed, can you not?”

He laughs and drags her up the steps toward the entrance back into the forest.

“You knew what you signed up for when you agreed to be my companion.”

Allura’s lips pursed.

“You have my blessing to go lead a far less exciting existence” he adds.

“No” she grumbles and holds onto him tight.

He looks back at her with a sincere smile.

“Thanks for saving me by the way.”

“You’re welcome. Hey now that we’re the same size does this mean you’ll start listening to me more?” She perks up.

He chuckles and boops her nose with his finger.

“Don’t count on it.”


	7. Marigold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bloom
> 
> Even in the most uncertain conditions our love can only grow…

Princess Allura was predictable. When watched long enough all her habits could be anticipated and Keith had watched over her for a very long time, as was his job to do, so he knew her like the back of his hand. So when the princess excused herself after discussion of her coronation, which would take place the following day, Keith knew she was upset and he knew exactly where to find her: in her private garden on the castle grounds. When Queen Melanor passed the garden was handed down to her as her as a place of refuge. No one was allowed in except for the groundskeepers…and Keith.

When he found her she was swaying gently on the large tree swing, surrounded by a large patch of marigolds. The gentle breeze pulled the blossoms from the tree and they rained down on her, resting in her hair. He took a moment to watch her before she noticed his presence and when her eyes finally did flutter upward to meet his she seemed unbothered by him.

When Keith was first assigned to her by King Alfor she found his constant monitoring bothersome, but after some time she couldn’t help but soften to him, need him, depend on him. He was her shadow, always behind her, always beside her.

 “Are you all right?” Keith asked as he approached. He already knew the answer but it was polite to ask anyway.

“I’m fine” she replied with sigh, leaning against the braided rope of the swing.

The swing was large enough for two and when she realized he was coming to sit beside her she shifted over to make room, not the least bit worried about being so close to him. Not after all this time. They knew when to be careful and when to let their guard down.

 “You were very quiet earlier” he stated.

Allura said nothing at first, her trembling hand moved to her stomach hoping to settle the turbulent waves tossing and turning inside her.

“Perhaps I cannot do this. Perhaps I’m not fit to rule” she said aloud, although judging by her distant gaze he was unsure whether she was speaking to him or to herself.

Keith crossed his arms and their shoulders brushed up against each other. They often flirted with touch like this, though they wouldn’t dare go further. He knew that was a line he couldn’t cross and so did she so they had to be content with this.

“You will make your father and your people proud. I know you can do this Al…Princess.”

“He was such a wise and strong and noble king. Now that he’s gone I’m worried I will not be able to continue father’s wishes for this kingdom. I fear they will not take me seriously.”

Her hands dropped to her sides, grasping the edges of the wood plank of the swing as she exhaled loudly.

“You are to become Queen of Altea. Be firm. Show the strength you’ve always had, that I have always seen in you. They will listen.”

He brought his hands down as well until his fingers lightly grazed hers. She flinched at the contact, hesitated, but caution be damned she placed her hand on top of his intertwined their fingers and squeezed.

“Princess we…”

“Please…just let me steal a little strength, a little warmth from you before it’s no longer prudent for me to lean on you, before I must stand on my own.”

He held onto her hand tightly.

“Even as Queen I will stand beside you for as long as you need me.”

“As my personal bodyguard” she said with a slight chuckle.

“As a man” he corrected.

Allura’s heart skipped and she looked up at him.

“Well what if I need you forever?”

She meant it as a bit of a joke, but not really.

 “Then forever is what you shall have” he replied in a tone that was quite serious.

He returned her gaze, fixing his eyes on hers. Keith was a man of his word and she knew if he said forever he meant it. A noticeable shiver rippled through her then as a tingling heat swelled in her cheeks. He let go of her hand and stood up from the swing and knelt down into the flowers, plucking a few marigolds from the ground. He rejoined her on the swing and tucked one in her hair.

“I recall you telling me these were your mother’s favorite.”

“They were.” She smiled.

She took another from his hands and put one in his hair as well.

“I wish we could always be like this…” Her face fell as she pushed his hair behind his ear after she was sure the flower was secure.

“We don’t have always but you’re not Queen until tomorrow so at least we have right now.”

Now it was his turn to tip toe dangerously close to a place he shouldn’t go.

“And what would you do now, in this moment, in this place where no one can see us, where I am not yet a queen and you are not yet my dutiful knight and we are just Keith and Allura?”

“I think I might do something foolish.”

“How foolish?” She looked at him, urging him on with her gaze.

He slowly brought a finger to her chin, tilting her face upward. She didn’t want to close her eyes for fear that if she opened them again it would all be a dream so she watched and waited until his lips touched hers before her lids slipped shut.

He finally pulled away from her, having kissed her so deeply he needed to remember how to breathe. His forehead rested against hers.

“See I told you, foolish” he said with a light chuckle.

“Oh I’m sure I could up your foolishness tenfold.”

“And how would you do that hmm?”

“By falling madly in love with you and someday asking you to be my king.”

Keith’s face fell in shock then turned a perfect shade of blush pink.

“A-Allu-Princess…”

She smirked and took the last remaining marigold from his hand and slid it into the other side of her hair.

“Allura.”

She smiled confidently as she began to sway the swing forward and back.

“Princess Allura!”

“Oh I heard you, are you going to help me swing or not?”

She grinned at him playfully and all he could do, all he could ever do when she smiled at him was acquiesce. He planted his feet on the ground and slowly backed up.

“Hold on tight.”

She nodded and firmly gripped the rope with one hand while sliding her hand around his waist. When he was on his tip toes he threw his feet up and they went soaring forward, Allura erupting into a fit of giggles.

Keith had spent such a good portion of his life watching over her, protecting her, that he left his heart unattended, free for the taking. When she came to claim it for herself, he never stood a chance.

Luckily she would guard it with her life the way he guarded hers.


	8. Enchantment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep in the Wood
> 
> “Bring me the witch and I will save him…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is based on this art and premise by iacediai. Their work always floors me.

The room is silent save for the echoing click clack of Keith’s boots against the cold marble. The guards at the door don’t bother to question him anymore, they just get out of the way. Move or be moved. Once at the center of the room he loomed over the large coffin-like glass case. The vines and flowers had almost completely overtaken it by this time and all he could see was a face, pale and unmoving, frozen in time. A mighty champion trapped in eternal slumber.

Keith inhaled deeply, looking upon it one final time before storming out.

“You don’t think it odd that they’ve sent us on such a mission?” Hunk pulled his hood up cautiously, weary of his surroundings.

“Why odd? We’re the best. Emperor Zarkon clearly recognizes our talents. We’ll be rewarded handsomely.” Lance smirked as he used his dagger to clean his teeth before running his tongue over the smooth pearly surface.

“Given our skill set it does seem overkill to send all four of us after a simple witch.” Pidge stated as she walked, simultaneously flipping through the pages of the small hardbound spellbook she normally kept tucked in her belt.

“No simple witch could cast the spell that was put on Shiro. Even you said you couldn’t touch it Pidge.” Keith remarked as he cut through the foliage with his blade.

“Don’t remind me.” She snarled.

“Jealous?” Lance attempted to muss her hair and she slapped his hand away.

“Not jealous, just highly intrigued. I anticipate meeting this sorceress.”

“Don’t you think it also odd that the emperor refused to give us a name as well?” Hunk chimed in.

“She’s the White Witch, what more do we need?” Lance rolled his eyes.

“He seemed to know her more personally than that. We don’t know anything about this woman or why she cursed Shiro in the first place. It would be easier to capture our bounty with additional information.” Hunk stroked his chin.

“We will make do with what we’re given” Keith snapped, growing tired of the chatter.

His mind was elsewhere, on the mission, on his friend, on his growing suspicions of Zarkon. Nothing about this felt right.

“Don’t you think we should split up?” Lance finally suggested. He had stopped walking and placed his hands on his hips.

“Do you ever not say foolish things?” Pidge snapped the book shut and put it back in its holster.

“What’s so foolish about that? We have so much ground to cover!” Lance shrugged.

“This is the Olkari Wood. It’s enchanted. Many a man have ventured into these woods and never returned.” Hunk warned.

“We’re not regular men.” Lance retorted.

“It still would not be wise. This place can turn into a maze if one is not careful.” Pidge adjusted her glasses.

“Our intel has informed us she’s holed up in these woods somewhere and it could take days to find her hideout. We split up and whomever finds her sends the flare.”

“Or we could stick together and save what limited flares we have” Hunk insisted.

Keith continued to trudge forward to distance himself while the remaining three stayed to squabble. He trusted his team with his life but his temperament was most different than theirs and when they got in these little arguments he knew it best to tune them out. They would eventually realize he was going on without them and catch up.

When their voices finally quieted down he sighed with relief that the bickering had ended and turned to face them only when he did so they were not there and not only where they nowhere to be seen the forest appeared different from before.

“Shit” he hissed before calling them out one by one. “PIDGE! LANCE! HUNK!”

Keith turned in every which direction before realizing he was good and lost and separated from his crew. The Olkari Woods did indeed do what Pidge had promised. Now he had a decision to make: find the others or complete the mission. He huffed in exasperation considering his next course of action when the snap of a twig in the distance broke his concentration.

His head snapped in that direction just in time to see a cloaked figure disappear behind some trees, a wisp of white hair caught on the breeze.

“Couldn’t be…” he muttered to himself as his legs pulled him forward.

He walked briskly, not wanting to make too much noise, until he caught up to where he’d seen them. He looked around, prepared to be disappointed, when he saw them again just as they began to descend down a slope.

Keith crept and scurried to the top of the hill, peering over to discover a clearing and a small cottage next to a large oak. The figure pushed open the front door and stepped inside. He decided to go around the side, out of the view of the windows and climb down. Just as he was about to approach, the door creaked open and he quickly dove behind a tree.

The figure exited again and took off hurriedly in the opposite direction until they were out of sight. Keith considered following but determined it would be smarter to stay behind, get inside the cabin and ambush them when they returned. He snuck forward and tested the knob. Door opened right up and he stepped inside.

The cottage appeared to have been erected around the oak as parts of it were inside, large thick branches stretching across the ceiling. The walls were lined with shelves of bottles, canisters, trinkets and books. Stained glass mobiles hung in front of the window filling the room with colored light.

As he explored, vines began to creep along the floor, following him, rising up parallel to his legs. Before he’d even known what hit him they wrapped around his body and yanked him back with so much force he dropped his sword. It clattered to the ground as he was pulled into a wooden chair, the vines wrapping and twirling and winding around him, securing him in place. He struggled and snarled.

“The more you struggle the tighter they’ll get. Therefore I would remain calm if I were you” a female voice sounded from the doorway of the bedroom. The figure stood there, face hidden by the large hood pulled down over her face. Her long wavy white hair flowed over her shoulders.

Keith looked up in surprise. He was sure she had left. He watched her walk away.

“You’re the White Witch I take it?”

“That I am.”

She sauntered to the fireplace and spat in its direction. Her saliva hit the hearth and erupted into flames, casting them both in a soft orange glow. She removed the hood of her cloak and his heart seized. Not what he was expecting in the slightest. The rumors had spoken of an old frightening hag, not the beautiful young witch who stood before him.

“Why do you follow me hunter?” She asked as she glared down at him, arms crossed.

Keith returned her menacing stare as he remained tight lipped. She smirked.

“I have ways of making you talk hunter. I’ll give you one last chance to speak of your own free will.”

Keith had been interrogated before. He could take a punch. He could take much worse. He remained silent. She approached his chair and leaned down, tilting his head up with a finger to the chin.

He noted her breath smelled sweet as she whispered something incomprehensible before her lips met his, soft and warm, sending a tingle throughout his body. An involuntary moan left his mouth as she pulled back, her fingers brushing his cheek as she stepped away.

“Now, why do you follow me hunter?” she asked again.

“For Shiro.” The answer left his lips on its own, he was unable to control himself.

“Shiro?”

“The emperor’s champion, don’t act like you don’t know. What did you do to m-”

“Who sent you?” She cut him off with another question.

“Z-Z-arkon.” He tried to hold the words back but it was fruitless.

“Of course…” she hissed. “What did he promise you?”

“If I bring you to him he’ll save Shiro by forcing you to break the spell you put on him.”

She erupted into laughter then which caused Keith’s blood to simmer.

“This isn’t a game witch!” he snapped.

“It’s certainly is not and yet you’re so easily played!” she retorted. “He simply used something dear to you to get you run his errands. He cares not for your precious champion.”

She spat out the words with contempt as she paced the room.

“You know nothing!” he yelled at her.

She quickly approached and snatched him by the face, digging her nails into his cheeks as she leaned down to meet him face to face.

“I know you’re being manipulated. I did not put that spell on your champion. That is a lie your emperor wants you to believe. Magic mimicked to look like mine.”

“Then who did it?” he uttered with her squeezing his face.

She let go of him and strolled over to a chair across from him. She sat and crossed her arms and legs.

“Take a guess.”

“He doesn’t have that kind of power.”

“But his empress does…”

He stared her down, looking for lies in her eyes. He shouldn’t trust her, but there was much about all of this that hadn’t added up that he wanted to overlook because saving Shiro meant everything. Zarkon’s refusal to give any further information about this White Witch, his refusal to explain the exact nature as to how Shiro became cursed in the first place, the empress who barely talked but seemed to hold so much influence over her husband and the fact that Shiro was champion for the emperor in the first place. He’d known Shiro his whole life and it always felt out of place that his friend was so willing to do Zarkon’s bidding.

“I think we have much to talk about” he finally said solemnly.

The witch waved her hand and the vines on his body loosened and slithered back from whence they came.

“We do.”

Keith rubbed his wrists.

“Allura. Princess Allura of Altea” she introduced herself.

His face shot up as his eyes went wide.

“Altea? That kingdom fell centuries ago. It’s a fable now. The stories say the entire royal family was slain except for the daughter who was never found.”

“As you said,” a knowing smirk spread across her face, “we have a lot to discuss.”


	9. Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hold the Pickles
> 
> Stopping for a burger was on purpose. The kidnapping that came after was completely an accident.

Keith’s black Audi A5 convertible pulled into an empty spot and turned off the engine. He checked his watch. He had time, but honestly stopping here was a risk and he should’ve taken advantage of the head start he was given. On the other hand he heard the milkshakes here were legendary.

He caught her out of the corner of his eye as she approached. Dark skin, pink trimmed low cut white tank top and dark very tight fitting 70’s style high waisted athletic shorts. Her voluminous white hair caught the wind and the sunshine just right as she glided toward him on roller skates.

“Hi welcome to Kaltenecker’s drive-in diner, I’ll be your waitress Allura.”

She smiled down at him while handing him a menu. Keith grabbed it without taking his eyes off her baby blues.

“I’ll give you a second to look over the menu, but in the meantime is there anything I can get you to drink?”

“I heard the milkshakes were good.”

“Famous for them!” She bent over and leaned on his driver side door to point out things on the menu. “All the flavors are here and we can make them extra thick if you like. Do you like it thick?”

“Do you?” He looked at her with a playful smirk.

She blushed and bit her lip, stifling a chuckle

“Very thick” she responded in turn.

Two could play at that game.

 “Then I’ll have the strawberry.”

She scribbled on a notepad before spinning around and skating away, looking back one more time before disappearing into the restaurant. He watched her leave, noting that her front was nice, but her back was simply…divine.

He checked his watch again, then his cell phone. A ridiculous amount of missed calls. A few button presses later and he held the phone to his ear.

“Where are you?!” the voice on the other end demanded.

“Getting a bite.”

“Are you nuts?”

“Might as well have a last meal.”

“Don’t get cute. What part of ‘negotiate’ don’t you understand?”

“I was negotiating, but then the demands got a little extra and then things got a little heated…”

“And you shot Throk” they finished for him.

“Only technically. Look Shiro I gotta go.”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Shiro paused, “well don’t do anything _else_ stupid.”

Keith hung up as the angel on wheels rolled up and handed him his shake.

“Decide what you wanna eat?”

“Not sure what I want is on the menu.” He looked her up and down.

“It might be.”

His eye brow arched. He was honestly a bit surprised she was willing to flirt back. He was thinking of an appropriately slick and slightly vulgar retort when he noticed a car pull in three spots down. The two men glared at Keith with all the bitter hatred they could muster. One wore a very familiar eye patch.

Well there went his head start.

Keith shot them a brief knowing glance before focusing his attention back to Allura.

“Hmm, well let’s start with a cheese burger, medium and hold the pickles.”

“Fries?” she asked as she wrote.

“Sure.”

Keith had to think quickly as he was very aware that Sendak, aka Mr. Eyepatch, didn’t give two whole fucks about ”this is between you and me” respectability when it came to public brawls and wouldn’t think twice about shooting a civilian if they got in the way. And this civilian, who was filling out those hot pants like a champ god bless her, is definitely in the way. He could tell their hands were moving, probably loading and cocking their pistols. It was unfortunate, but Keith was going to have to escalate the situation to avoid a casualty.

“Anything else?” Allura smiled, pen at the ready.

“Princess I hate to do this to you…” he trailed off, taking the lid off the milkshake, “but you’re going to have to come on a little trip with me.”

In one swift motion Keith got up in his seat and launched the milkshake. It soared through the air before hitting its intended target, splattering all over the dark car and its occupants. In the brief moments of distraction he grabbed Allura and yanked her over him into the passenger seat, ass up, legs and roller skates flailing in the air.

Sendak, angry and covered in strawberry goop, desperately tried to wipe the mess from his face while simultaneously opening fire on the car. Kaltenecker’s became instant chaos as people were screaming and running and diving for cover. Keith yanked out his gun and fired back with one hand while starting the ignition and shifting into reverse.

“I guess I’ll be taking it to-go!” he said coolly while hurriedly backing out of the parking space.

The tires squealed as he peeled out with the dark car immediately in pursuit. Allura managed to get herself upright, no thanks to him, looking rather frantic.

“Great, now that you’re here would you mind driving?”

“WHAT?!” she yelped.

“I need you to drive sweetheart. I can’t drive and fire at the same time. Ok well I can but it’s awfully distracting!” he yelled, wind whipping through his hair.

“Are you serious?!”

“Very.”

“I’m wearing rollerskates!”

“I trust you” he reassured her as he held on to the wheel with one hand while already beginning to climb over her.

In an awkward fumbling of arms and legs and hands and a swerving car they’d finally switched positions.

“Shit shit shit!” Allura hissed in a panicked tone as she gripped the wheel with both hands and slammed on the gas.

The car zoomed down the road with Sendak right behind them. Allura’s eyes flashed to the rear view mirror and when she could see they were gaining she sped up even more and began weaving through cars rather smoothly. Keith raised a surprised eyebrow.

“Uh…you’re a little too good at this to be honest!” Keith yelled while equipping his gun with a fresh clip, wind whipping through his hair.

“I had some less than wholesome after school activities in high school! Got busted for racing a few times!” Allura shouted back.

She shrugged it off as if that was just a thing normal girls did as she suddenly took a last minute turn to try and throw their pursuers off, drifting before getting the car right again. Sendak nearly missed the turn and hit another car but swerved just in time. Another turn and Allura was sailing down a long wide alleyway. Keith turned himself around and got on his knees on the seat, using the opportunity to squeeze off a few shots. One missed entirely, the other hit the windshield right between the two thugs. Keith grumbled, embarrassed at his shitty aim.

“Do you mind not making me an accessory to murder please?!” she screamed.

“I would never testify against you babydoll, promise!” He flashed a smile and she groaned.

Allura kept to the backstreets, driving into an industrial neighborhood so as to reduce any possible casualties.

“Do you know where you’re taking us Princess?” he asked as he fired off more bullets.

The other car returned fire and Keith and Allura ducked, Allura screaming while attempting to keep control of the vehicle.

“I do just hold on a minute!”

She zipped down another road parallel to some train tracks, smiling at the oncoming train she could see in the distance. She looked at the clock on the dashboard.

“Right on time!” She smirked.

“Uh, I like to live dangerously but please tell me you’re not about to do what I think you’re about to do.” Keith gulped.

“You’re not afraid of getting shot at but you’re afraid of a little train?”

“There’s nothing little about that!”

Allura sped up to the crossing. If she hesitated, slowed even just a little, they were fucked.  Keith watched as her gaze became very determined. He didn’t dare interrupt. Instead he just checked back to return fire if necessary. Allura could see the lights start to flash and the bars start to come down. She was so close. She jerked the wheel hard and Keith slid down into the seat to keep from flying out. They just barely missed shattering the wooden bars into a million pieces as they rushed through to sweet freedom. Sendak and his partner failed to make it in time, stuck on the other side of a very long train, cursing their luck.

When Allura had gotten some distance away where she knew they couldn’t be followed she stopped the car and turned off the ignition, her heart about to leap out of her chest.

“That was amazing, you’re amazing!” Keith roared before impulsively pulling her face into a kiss.

Allura squeaked before softening into him, digging her fingers into his chest. He eventually pulled back to catch his breath, still clutching her face.

“I can’t take you back to work.”

She stifled a chuckle.

“That’s ok. You can take me home and I’ll call and tell them I’m ok…after I tell them you dropped me off at some random gas station or something…and I barely remember what you look like.” She smiled.

“Good girl” he replied.

He paused and then decide the push his luck.

“So…can I call you sometime?”

Allura playfully scoffed.

“You kidnap me, nearly get me killed, I still don’t even know your name and-”

“Keith” he interrupted.

 “And you wanna go out on a date?” she finished.

He looked at her as if he didn’t understand what the issue was.

“Yes?”

She shook her head and kissed him again, climbing over and sliding onto his lap.

“Is that a yes?” he mumbled between kisses as he ran his hands down her back.

“I’ll think about it” she whispered against his mouth before nibbling his lip.

Keith was certainly bummed that he missed out on the milkshake, especially because he was pretty sure he could never show his face at Kaltenecker’s ever again, but this, this was a nice consolation. This was much, much sweeter.


	10. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re Not Welcome Here
> 
> I can’t live within you…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better late than never? I blame work and social commitments and laziness.

Allura slumped against the pulpit, battered bruised bloodied, gasping for air as she held her limp arm. Once seated, she pulled the bag up over her head by the strap and rifled through it with her free hand. Pushing aside weapons, candles, bottles of holy water, her hand finally rested on a wooden stake which she quickly shoved in her mouth and bit down on.

She took a few deep breathes from her nose as she reached across her chest and gripped her shoulder. Eyes clamped shut, she shoved, hard. A loud crack sounded as her shoulder reset. A muffled wail escaped through gritted teeth as an involuntary tear rolled down her dirty cheek. Allura let the stake fall from her mouth into her lap as she went back to the bag and pulled out a roll of gauze to wrap the wound on her leg. Tying off the wrap she finally let her head fall back to try and rest if but for a moment.

“Alloooooooora…” a voice echoed through the empty church.

She sat at attention, quickly shoving her belongings back in the bag. As she scrambled to her feet the candles behind her began to ignite rapidly. Her eyes darted around the space.

“Allura…did you think you could find safety from me here? Did you think this was a place I could not follow?”

She could hear his laughter from everywhere but her gaze eventually fell directly down the aisle at the entrance. His eyes, a sickly yellow color, cut through the darkness. He looked down at the line of salt that crossed his path, smirking at it before stepping over it.

“Can we stop with these games? I don’t want to keep hurting you like this” he said with a feigned sympathy.

“We can stop when you give Keith back to me.” She snarled.

“I possessed him fair and square darling. He’s mine until I say he isn’t.”

“Then it seems we’re at an impasse.”

“We don’t have to be” he said, approaching her.

As he came down the aisle and passed each row of pews they flew out of his way, crashing into the walls and windows sending wood fragments and glass flying in every direction.

“You could join me. We could be together. He loves you, I love you” he added.

“Demons are not capable of love” she retorted.

“I’m capable of lust. Isn’t that good enough?” He smiled.

She hated looking at his twisted face, knowing Keith was somewhere deep inside trapped behind those eyes. She was done talking to that thing, that thing that wasn’t him. She reached for her belt and detached her whip. It unfurled and she gave a nice good crack. Keith, or his shell anyhow, chuckled as he shook his head.

“You really want to do this?” he asked.

With a swing of her arm then a sharp pull back the whip flung forward just enough to lick his face, a fresh thin slice appearing across his cheek. He didn’t flinch, but a tight lipped scowl distorted his mouth. He had his answer. He pulled his longsword out of its sheath.

Keith charged her and Allura immediately whipped at him to keep him from advancing. He slid back, falling to one knee before getting up and lunging again. She swirled the whip back and forth and he deflected in turn with the blade, dodging as he went in an attempt to close the distance.

He jumped to overtake her from the high ground and in response she swung it over her head like a lasso, the reach of her whip so long it snapped several candles in half. He managed to avoid it, instead clinging to the wall like a spider. She whipped at him again and this time he caught it, the leather wrapping around his hand which started to bleed from the impact. They stayed in this tug of war, eyes locked, teeth gritted. He pulled. She pulled.

Keith’s strength, compounded with that of a demon, won out and he was finally able to yank the handle out of her grasp. Allura growled and her gaze immediately flashed toward her bag. Keith saw it too. It was now a matter of who would get there first.

She dashed for it and he followed. Her hand reached out, about to snatch up the bag and he tackled her. They writhed and rolled, kicking, biting, scratching, punching at each other. Allura shoved him off and scrambled to the satchel, reaching in and flinging out a heavy ornate gold cross at him just as he was about to claim her. The cross was inches from his face. He hissed, spittle dripping from his mouth. Her hand trembled as she quickly tried to pull air into her lungs, heart pounding in her chest.

“How many times must I tell you your trinkets will not work on me?” He swatted her hand away.

His voice was raspy and deep and there was a tone there that was not Keith’s, that was not even human. “Stop this. End it. You cannot defeat me so give in.”

He caressed her face before pulling her up into his arms. She struggled but he held her so tight she thought he might snap her bones.

“Allura, we could bend this world to our will you and I. I could make you feel things you could only dream of. I can make Keith live forever. I could make you live forever.”

His leaned forward and kissed her cheek, her neck, before returning to her mouth and resting his lips there. His breath smelled of death. She didn’t kiss him back.

“What do you say hmm? Doesn’t that sound good?”

He paused and waited for a response.

“It’s not a trinket” was all she uttered.

“What?”

“It’s not a trinket. It’s a hunter’s cross.”

He still seemed confused which was to her benefit. She smiled and brought the cross to his forehead, hovering, but not touching, not yet.

“Is it supposed to burn?” he asked mockingly with a smirk.

“It’s supposed to exorcise demons.” She smirked back.

His eyes went wide and before he could push her away she touched it to his skin and it seemed to suction on. She wrapped an arm around his waist and held him in place. The cross did indeed burn and he screamed, his mouth stretching open as a red and orange glow, like a flame, burst from behind his eyes. Otherworldly screeching and thick black smoke bubbled from deep in his throat and out of his mouth toward the ceiling. It swirled like a forming tornado before disintegrating and raining ash down on them.

Keith’s body went limp and they both collapsed under the sudden weight. She ran her fingertips over his face, brushed his hair from his eyes. When they finally fluttered open, tears streamed down her face. She’d never seen a prettier shade of violet. He groaned as he shifted his body.

“I feel like death.”

“You look it. Be still.”

“I don’t intend to go anywhere.” His voice was dry and gruff.

“You’re safe now” she reassured him.

“I know, because you’ve always been my safe place.” He coughed while lifting a hand and slipping it through her hair, placing it on the back of her neck to pull her down onto his chest.

 “Try not to get possessed again. It’s a bit of a pain” she said softly.

“I’ll do what I can. Perhaps we could take a bit of a break hmm? Hunt something a little simpler?”

“Like vampires?”

“They bite.”

“Werewolves?”

“They bite too, and scratch.”

“Well while we figure it can we just lay here for a while?”

“Of course.”

The fatigue and the soreness and the pain finally started to kick back in and Allura felt like perhaps she could lay there with him forever. She closed her eyes and settled in to sleep right there with him on the floor of the ruined church. It wasn’t ideal but it was a good enough shelter for the night and frankly she couldn’t have cared less where they slept as long as she had him back.


	11. Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiss From a Rose
> 
> I know you, I met with you once upon a dream...

Allura could be a very persuasive person, a master negotiator. So when her father, King Alfor, made it known at the dinner table that he and Queen Melanor weren’t getting any younger and she was getting older, marriage age older in fact, Allura immediately sprung into action in order to by herself some time.

After lengthy talks and promises and compromises they made a deal. Alfor would let her travel and “see the world” for two months (under heavy protection of course), then upon her return she would settle down and marry whomever they picked for her. That way she could feel like she got to have some sort of life before she got a ring on her finger and a proverbial ball and chain around her ankle.

“I’m simply saying you could use this opportunity to sow your oats as well” Adam quipped as he adjusted his glasses from atop his horse.

“I’m not quite sure it works the same for a princess as it would a prince” Shiro chimed in.

“Can you imagine her returning home with child?” Romelle giggled.

“Father would send me to the gallows!” Allura shook her head with a laugh.

“As your advisor I won’t even hear talk of it!” Coran snapped as he turned the map in circles while still trying to focus on the road ahead.

They continued to chat and talk when Allura suddenly made them halt.

“What…what is that?” She pointed up ahead in the distance.

“It looks like an old castle.” Shiro’s eyes narrowed as he tried to focus.

“I don’t recall such a landmark being on the map” Adam glared.

“It’s not.” Coran added, confusion washing over his face as he ruffled the map. His mustache twitched.

“Do you think we should leave it be?” Romelle asked.

“I think we should explore it.” Allura’s face brightened as she gently nudged her horse with her boots and the stallion took off running.

The remaining four rolled their eyes in exasperation before following one by own. Nothing about watching over a curious, eager and often stubborn princess was easy. She definitely made her bodyguards work for every penny.

When they finally caught up with her she was already off her horse looking perplexed. The castle was completely covered in leafy vines, thick and twisting, some with thorns. They blanketed every inch, including blocking the main entrance. They dismounted and stood beside the princess.

“How…odd.” Coran folded up the map and put it in his satchel. “How will we get inside?”

“What if we climbed our way in?” Romelle lifted up her leg.

“And what about the thorns?” Adam reminded her.

Romelle pouted and put her leg back down.

“We’ll cut our way through.” Shiro nodded pulling out his sword.

He made everyone stand back while he approached and swung at the thick foliage. No matter how much he hacked at it the vines were unmoved. Shiro was one of Altea’s champions. Not being able to take down a plant had him feeling rather frustrated and a little embarrassed, especially in front of Adam.

Allura took a dagger out of her boot and attempted to slice at the vines at the front doors herself. Barely a scratch.

“How peculiar…” she mused while gently running her fingers over them.

As careful as she tried to be, she still ended up pricking her finger on one of the thorns. She yelped and looked at her hand, disappointed to find she had stained a perfectly lovely pair of suede gloves with blood. She whimpered and yanked the glove off before popping the finger in her mouth as she looked at the offending now red stained thorn, cursing it.

“Well perhaps we can go around back and see if there’s an alternate way in but if these things are everywhere it looks like we won’t be exploring after all.” Allura turned and headed back to the group.

“It’s for the be-” Coran said before his words died in his mouth which fell open.

The others also looked on in surprise and Allura whipped around to see the vines disintegrating and falling away at the entrance.

“What did you do?” Romelle blinked.

“Nothing! Other than poke my hand and bleed all over it, nothing at all!” Allura exclaimed.

“You don’t…you don’t think this place is enchanted do you?” Adam’s face lit up.

“Don’t tell me you believe in that stuff” Shiro huffed.

“The fates brought me a handsome knight. Why not believe in a little magic?” Adam winked and went to go inspect the door. Shiro’s cheeks flushed before he followed.

He stood beside Adam and together they pushed the massive wooden double doors open. Coran stayed behind to watch the horses while the four ventured inside. The castle was eerily silent and their boots against the marble floors echoed. The vines had not only taken over the outside but the inside as well, creeping up the walls, wrapping around the furniture. Naturally as they inspected things they began to split apart.

“Oh!” Romelle squealed and everyone came running. She was in a music room standing near a grand piano.

When they joined her and saw what she was looking at they collectively gasped and recoiled. A man was sitting at the piano, slumped over covered in vines.

“Is-is-is he dead?” Romelle had quickly scurried behind Adam.

Shiro reached out and placed fingers at his throat. His expression became both shocked and extremely perplexed. He then held his palm out under the man’s nose.

“He’s alive…breathing…sleeping.”

“It really is enchanted!” Adam began to get even giddier.

“I wonder what happen here?” Allura questioned softly as she looked around.

Now that she noticed it, there were other people in the room too, sitting in chairs as if they had been listening to the piano player, also sleeping, frozen in time.

Allura wandered into the main hall and stared at the central staircase where strangely enough the vines had begun to produce roses. She walked toward them and cupped one in her hand. It was a rich red in full bloom and smelled sweet.

“Beautiful” she uttered under her breath.

There were more flowers leading upstairs. She should’ve waited for the others, let someone accompany her but that pesky curiousness overwhelmed her.

The roses seemed to blossom in a particular path which she followed diligently, noticing more sleeping people along the way. Maidens lay in the hallways, guards slumped against walls, children in bedrooms napping amongst their toys. The roses took her higher and higher, up the spiraling staircase of a tower. When she reached the door she hesitantly placed a hand on the knob, turned it and crept inside. Roses had completely overwhelmed this room to where the scent was almost overpowering. Light poured in through stained glass windows. And in the center was a large gold ornate bed.

Allura took her time in this room before approaching said bed. She studied the décor, the knickknacks on the desk, the books. She looked at a painting on the wall. There sat man who looked to be a king, his queen and their young dark haired son. There was an inscription underneath: His Majesty King Heath, Her Majesty Queen Krolia, Crowned Prince Keith. She wiped the dust from it to get a better look, smiling at the cute little prince.

She finally turned toward the bed, noticing someone sleeping there. She assumed it would be the queen or king and was surprised to see that it was neither. He was a rather handsome young man, appeared to be her age, clothes regal. He was covered in vines that wrapped around the bed, his head cradled in a bed of roses. She looked at him, then back at the painting. Could it be?

Allura leaned in to get a better look at him, trying to steady herself on the vines, when her hand slipped and she fell on him, her face bumping against his, her lips planting on his mouth. She sat up quickly as she let out a squeak and brought a hand to her lips. She should go back downstairs quickly and join the others, and perhaps leave out the part where she was clumsily smooching sleeping princes. She got up to leave when the vines began crackling, withering, dying. The roses broke apart leaving nothing but petals.

“Shoot!” Allura whimpered as she lept off the bed and backed herself into a wardrobe, worried she had just royally screwed something up, already anticipating the lecture from Coran.

As all the plant life fell away the room seemed to brighten. The prince’s face suddenly contorted, his body shifted, he let out the faintest groan.

Then his eyes fluttered open.

He blinked a few times, then wearily sat up, surveying the room before his eyes fell on her.

“Hello…” Keith finally spoke, albeit hesitantly.

“Hello.” She smiled awkwardly.

“Did you…” He then touched his own hand to his lips as he stared at her.

“Um…yes…” Her face turned red.

“Hmm…” He looked down lost in thought, before mumbling to himself. “If you broke the spell that must mean you’re my one true lo-”

“Princess here you are we’ve been looking all over for you!” Romelle scolded as the rest of her team stumbled into the room frantically.

“The vines disappeared and everyone is starting to wake u- oh my!” Adam nudged Shiro as they all looked forward to see the prince sitting alert in his bed.

They all looked back and forth between the prince and princess suspiciously.

“Allura what did you do?!” Shiro snapped at the princess.

She giggled sheepishly while rubbing the back of her neck.

“I can explain…”


	12. Locket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All My Exes Live in Texas
> 
> There’s room for second chances

Nothing about today was quite as Keith had planned it, including the fact that he was currently hiding behind the couch, in the dark, in Pidge’s apartment waiting to jump out at some girl he didn’t even know.

“I still don’t understand why I need to be here for this” he whispered.

“Because we need bodies ok? Katie and her new coworker have gotten really close and it’s her birthday and she’s only lived here for a few months and doesn’t have a lot of friends yet.” Lance replied.

“And this chick isn’t gonna think it’s weird a bunch of strangers are celebrating her birthday?”

“Well hopefully we all won’t be strangers by the end of the night.”

“They’ve gotten off the elevator!” Hunk hissed, his cellphone shining like a beacon in the darkness.

Any chattering and giggles came to a complete halt as they could hear female voices and footsteps approaching. Then came the sound of keys jingling in the lock. The door creaked open and as soon as the two women were fully inside the lights clicked on and everyone jumped up, confetti popping in the air and raining down on them.

“SURPRISE!” everyone yelled.

“OH SHIT” Keith blurted out.

Lance nudged Keith in annoyance only to look and see Keith’s expression, face pale as if he’d seen a ghost. He turned his head to see that Birthday Girl was staring back at him like a deer in headlights, color also drained from her face.

“Do you know her?” Lance leaned in, concerned.

“Yeah…you could say that.”

After a valiant effort to avoid each other as the party got into full swing, they eventually both found themselves in the kitchen attempting polite small talk.

“So…uh…how are things?” He swirled the ice in his red solo cup anxiously.

“Good…I uh, moved here for work and it’s going pretty well. I hope you don’t think-”

“No no! I mean why would you even know that I live here now. We haven’t talked since…” he trailed off.

If he had finished he would have said since they broke up after high school, sitting on her front porch during the last bits of summer, tears streaming down their faces after deciding that long distance plus college could never work.

“You look great.” She smiled.

“Really? Thanks so do you.”

She really had gotten more beautiful since the last time he’d seen her. He took a moment to quickly scan every inch of her, his eyes resting on her hands as she held her drink. No ring. Good. Not that he cared or anything.

They proceeded to chit chat, try and catch up after all the time that had passed. Allura thought about asking, every so casually, if he was seeing anyone, but decided against it. Not that it mattered, even if he really had gotten more handsome after all this time.

Eventually they were separated, Allura feeling that it would be polite to actually talk to the other people who were nice enough to attend her party, but they reconvened several times and eventually, before the party ended they exchanged numbers.

A week and a half later Allura’s phone buzzed as she lay in bed in her studio apartment with a glass of wine watching the sort of wonderfully cheesy show she’d never admit to watching to anyone she knew.

_[9:48 pm] Coffee?_

_[10:00 pm] Tonight?_

_[10: 00 pm] Tomorrow morning you goof._

_[10:01 pm] Ah…duh :) Yes I’d like that._

_[10:02 pm] Vrepit Sal’s? They’ve got great pastries._

_[10:02 pm] Sure! Meet you at 10?_

_[10:03 pm] 10:30 and I’ll come pick you up._

_[10:04 pm] You don’t have to do that._

_[10:05 pm] I don’t mind. Text me your address. Goodnight._

It was just coffee but Allura found herself primping ridiculously early. Finishing up her makeup as the doorbell rang.

“Hey!” She threw open the door with a smile.

“Hi. Ready?”

“Almost, just give me like five more minutes. Come inside and make yourself at home.” She left the door open and scurried to the bathroom.

He walked around her apartment, giving himself a tour of her small living room area and tiny kitchen. He ran his fingers over the books on her shelf and smiled at her messy bed. There was a small office nook and though he should have minded his business he found himself at her desk anyway poking around. She had pictures from college, social events, parties which he studied carefully, trying to see if there was anyone who even remotely looked like an old boyfriend. He grinned at all her pink pens, her favorite color, and noticed she still had her obsession with cute washi tapes. He finally came to stand in the doorway of her bathroom, watching as she went back and forth between a red scarf and a mustard yellow one.

“Which do you think?” She looked at him, holding the two up.

“Red.” He smiled and stepped inside.

He pretended to fuss with his hair alongside her, eliciting a giggle from her when he noticed an open jewelry box on the counter.

Nothing should have been out of the ordinary: earrings, bracelets, rings, various necklaces. However there was a particular piece that stood out clear as day. Something he hadn’t seen since that time on the porch when she tried to give it back to him and he put his hand over her and closed her fingers around it and told her it was always her to keep no matter what happened between them. Something he’d given to her the first time he admitted he was in love with her.

His face fell and he reached out and snatched it up, a necklace with gold chain and matching gold locket at the end. When she noticed what he was holding her heart seized in her chest.

“You kept this? After all this time?” He looked at her as his face softened.

“Y-yes…I couldn’t seem to part with it.” She laughed weakly then bit her lip. “You were my first everything, I couldn’t just throw it away.”

He clutched the locket in his fingers and pried it open, looking with fondness at a faded poorly cut picture of an 18 and 17 year old who thought they were going to be together forever.

“It’s crazy that we found each other again” he muttered, party to her, partly to himself.

“Yes, but I’m glad we did.”

She took a deep breath and grabbed the red scarf, his favorite color, and wrapped it around her neck, smiling at his reflection in the mirror.

“Me too.” He smiled back as he placed the necklace back in the box as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. “Ready to go?”

“Mhm!”

They stepped out of the front door which she locked behind her. Keith started down the hallway ahead of her before stopping and holding his arm out. Allura grinned ear to ear before running and hooking her arm around his.

“Still addicted to cinnamon buns?”

“Oh absolutely.”

“Great. Sal’s have ones as big as your head.”

“You’ll have to share it with me.” Allura squeezed his arm.

“Ok but after all that sugar I’m going to want something salty so we’ll probably have to go to lunch together too.” He looked at her with a smirk.

“Deal!”


	13. Fragrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like Rabbits
> 
> Even when you’re gone, your scent lingers
> 
> (NSWF, M)

 “You smell nice, new shampoo or something?” Shiro buries his face in Keith’s black mop of hair from behind.

“Excuse me?” Keith’s whole body perks up, flinches. He nearly drops his freshly poured cup of coffee.

“New shampoo? Smells nice, more flowery than the stuff you normally use though.” Shiro says nonchalantly.

He walks across the break room and sits at the counter, setting the files down he was carrying before grabbing a mug for himself.

“Uh yeah…heh…shampoo… Keith chuckles nervously.”Well I gotta go later!”

Keith takes a sip so the coffee won’t spill and hurriedly walks out of the room.

+++

 “Allura we have…we have to stop…they’re…oh god yes…like that, yes” Keith babbles breathlessly.

He sits in the darkened cockpit of the black lion. His head tilts back as his toes curl in his boots. One hand is over and behind his head, clutching the top of the seat. The other is grasping a large fistful of white hair.

His moans echo in the small space, bits and pieces of broken words, sweet nothings, curses, fragments of her name. She digs her fingers into the sides of his legs, squeezing the more that he squirms.

“Fuck Lu…Lura I’m gonna come” he whines.

She hums prettily and the vibration it sends through his length and up his spine unravels him. He cries out then quickly clamps a hand over his own mouth, afraid someone will hear even though that’s impossible.

His legs go limp at his sides as he struggles to catch his breath. Allura finally sits back on her heels and wipes the evidence of her actions from her lips.

“What were you saying?”

Keith leans forward and cups her face in his hands, kissing her slowly.

“We have to stop, they’re gonna find out. Shiro could smell you all over me this morning” he tells her between kisses.

“I don’t want to stop” she mutters against his lips.

“I don’t want to either, but I also don’t want to deal with the fallout once everyone realizes what we’re doing. We’ll never hear the end of it.”

She pulls back and scoffs as she fixes her disheveled hair. He’s right, but surely there’s an alternative to cutting herself off from him. She’s not willing to do that.

“I won’t wear any perfume then.” She looks up at him and smiles.

“Incorrigible” is all he can say as he leans back.

_+++_

“You smell like a boy.”

“What?!” Allura whips around, hand to her heart as if that would keep it from leaping out of her chest.

“You smell like a boy.”

Pidge sniffs at her as she passes by the princess with a computer tablet in her hand. They’re running routine diagnostics on the Atlas.

“You’re not wearing that froufrou stuff you normally wear.”

“Yes well most of my ‘froufrou stuff’ as you put it went up in flames with the rest of the castle ship.”

Pidge nods regretfully.

“I know that was really hard on you. Maybe we can find you something in the city so you don’t have to borrow the guys’ stuff” she suggests, the glow of the screen reflecting in her glasses.

“That would be lovely.” Allura smiles in agreement with a slight anxious giggle.

+++

“I thought you said we needed to stop” Allura says before the air gets knocked out of her as her back hits the table. Her long white hair splays out everywhere like spilt water and her unzipped cadet jacket falls open.

Keith doesn’t initially respond to his own words getting thrown back at him. He’s too busy pushing up her white tank top to get to what’s underneath.

“Your scent was all over me. Pidge made note of i-AHHH!” She gasps as he undoes the blessed front clasp of her bra and immediately clamps his mouth over her soft sensitive skin.

“Can we not mention Pidge or anyone else while we’re doing this?” Keith growls as he goes back tracing his tongue in agonizingly slow circles.

“For someone who doesn’t want to get caught you’re being awfully reckless” she pants.

Keith stands up straight with a smirk as he unzips his own jacket and pulls it off, tossing it by her pants and boots on a pile on the floor.

They’re in the conference room where all the super top secret strategic war meetings are held, the ones he should have been paying attention to earlier that day except all he could do was stare at his princess and think about what he wanted to do to her on this very table. Now he’s getting his wish.

“It’s midnight, who’s gonna catch us?” He unbuckles his belt.

“I just think you should wear a different cologne or something.” Her mind is all over the place.

“Are we back on that?” He grips her panties and pulls them down her legs.

“Keith if they find out that we-” Her own words are cut off by the groan that escapes from her lips.

He’s grabbed her by the thighs and yanks her into him, and therefore him into her.

 “If they catch-” she tries to get words out, but it’s fruitless.

Keith leans over and kisses her throat.

“Maybe if you shut up they won’t catch us. Can you do that? Can you be a good princess and be quiet for me?” He whispers teasingly with a deep raspy voice in her ear as he grinds his hips nice and slow, taking one of her legs and draping over his back.

Allura whimpers and bites her lip and shakes her head profusely. She can’t. She absolutely can’t if he’s going to keep doing what he’s doing and he knows it. And he doesn’t care. He loves this game. Telling her she needs to keep it down while simultaneously doing everything to make her beg, to get her nice and loud.

He presses his body against her, marking her with his aroma.

+++

“You smell nice” the young cadet’s voice catches her by surprise.

“Oh Mr. Griffin!” Allura jumps and twirls around.

“Call me James.” He smirks, leaning in the doorway of the mess hall.

She smiles and nods.

“Well, thank you Mr…James.” She corrects herself before turning back to the vending machine.

Ever since she’s discovered the magical earth concoction that is Doritos she cannot get enough. She’s also very fond of their bubbly beverage called root beer. She bats her baby blues at Iverson at least twice a week and he gives her whatever change he has. Pushover.

“What’s it called?” James approaches her with a grin and props himself against the glowing snack box.

“Pardon?”

“That scent you’re wearing, what’s it called?”

“It’s called Keith” the dark haired paladin retorts as he strolls into the room.

Allura’s eyes go wide while James’ narrows, darting back and forth between the two of them. Keith takes the bag from her hand and rips it open, popping a chip in his mouth.

“You don’t mind do you?” He looks at Allura with feigned sincerity. “I’m just so famished after last night.”

He glances at James as he deliberately eats another chip, crunching it obnoxiously loud with a wink. He and Griffin exchange a very knowing, very heated glare before James storms out of the room.

“So much for keeping it a secret” Allura frowns, snatching her snack back.

“Sorry” he mumbles guiltily with his mouth full.

“We really need to stop though. Everyone keeps pointing out that we smell like each other. We’ll be the talk of the entire base soon enough.” She crinkles the bag in her hands.

“Well what can we do about it? We either have to break up or shower 80 times a day.”

“Shower…” she repeats casually.

“Yeah,” he stares at her, “shower…”

She stares back, biting her lower lip.

He returns her gaze with a devilish grin.

Keith quickly grabs her by the hand, jerking her so hard she drops her Doritos.

“My chips!” she squeaks.

“I’ll buy you a new bag!” He promises, dragging her down the hallway toward the locker rooms.

Luckily Garrison has a very neutral smelling soap.


	14. Elegant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You Clean Up Nice
> 
> Money can’t buy you love

Allura looked at the body on the bed with disdain, wondering what she did in her life to deserve this. To deserve him. The money was great, but when she took the job she thought she was going to be assistant to fierce business woman and CEO Krolia Kogane, not sometimes assistant to Krolia Kogane and all the time assistant to her rich spoiled playboy son Keith Kogane. And “assistant” is really pushing it because honestly she felt more like a babysitter.

“Mr. Kogane please get up, you have brunch with your mother at 11” she requested while looking at his schedule from the tablet in her hands.

The body, faced down on the bed, didn’t move. She couldn’t be entirely sure he was even breathing and frankly she sort of secretly wished he wasn’t.

“Mr. Kogane” she repeated.

Crickets.

“Keith” she said sternly one final time.

Nothing.

She rolled her eyes and disappeared out of the room, returning with said tablet and a pitcher of ice cold water. She gave him one final chance before dumping the contents onto his bare back. His screams could be heard down the hallway as he flailed and rolled and jolted up in bed.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” he screeched, staring at her through dripping wet hair.

“Good you’re awake. Please get up, you have brunch with your mother at 11” Allura said cheerily with a petty smile.

“I ought to fire you” he hissed.

“You don’t have the authority Mr. Kogane.”

Keith bit his lip bitterly. She was right. After blowing through several  assistants in a very short period of time, the last one running out the front door in tears, his mother decided to take the reins and choose someone herself to help whip him into shape. There was obviously resistance but for the first time since hiring her, Keith fulfilled his commitments, got to meetings and work on time and Allura managed to keep him out of the tabloids for a good month despite his debauchery. Krolia was thrilled. Allura wasn’t going anywhere.

“Perhaps if you’re feeling cold a nice hot shower will warm you up. I’ll lay out your clothes.” She went to his closet.

“I can pick out my own clothes” he grumbled.

He rolled out of bed and stomped to the bathroom, snatching her by the wrist on the way and dragging her with him. She let out a yelp.

“What else do I have to do today?” he asked moments later from the shower.

Allura sat on the counter by the window trying to keep the screen of her tablet from fogging up while simultaneously trying to avoid looking at Keith’s body through the frosted glass. He was an annoying little shit but fit as hell.

“After brunch, you have a ribbon cutting to attend for the new Olkari Research Center at two, a telephone conference with Mr. Kolivan at 4:30 and then the Galra Charity Gala at eight.”

“Excellent. I’ll have time for cocktails with Lance at five.”

He turned off the water and grabbed the towel hanging over the shower door. After drying himself, he stepped out wrapping the towel around his waist and joining her at the bathroom counter.

“Perhaps you could skip the play date with Mr. McClain today. You know how you two get when you’re together.”

“It’s just a drink or two before dinner.” He winked at her before staring into the mirror to work some mousse into his hair and moisturize his face.

“It’s never just a drink or two. May I remind you of the time-” She was suddenly silenced with Keith’s finger to her lips.

“You don’t need to remind me. I’ll be a good boy today. Promise.” He let his finger slide down her lip, staring at her mouth before clearing his throat and going back to his primping. “Is my outfit ready for tonight?”

“Uh y-yes. I’ll be p-picking it up from the dry cleaners while you’re at the ribbon cutting” she stammered, face flushed. “Also remember that we’ll need to make time to pick up Ms. Arus before heading to the gala since the event is red carpet.”

“Ms. Arus?”

“Your date. Romelle Arus” she reminded him as she scrolled on the tablet.

 “Oh yeah, about that, she’s not my date anymore.”

“What?”

“It didn’t work out” he says flatly as he continued to fiddle with his hair.

Her eye twitched.

“What did you do?”

He walked out of the room and returned handing her his phone. She pulled up the text conversation and read, already feeling the veins in her temples pulsing.

_[9:27 PM] Why am I seeing pictures of you and Acxa from last night? WHAT ABOUT US?_

_[9:45 PM] I’m not stupid I know you’re ignoring my texts!_

_[10:00 PM] I DESERVE AN EXPLANATION!!!_

_[10:05 PM] YOU KNOW WHAT? NEVER MIND. FUCK YOU YOU CAN TAKE THAT SKANK TO THE GALA INSTEAD!!!!!_

Allura lowered the phone and glared at Keith who avoided her menacing gaze.

 “I’m going to kill you” she growled.

“It’s fine, calm down. I’ll just take someone else. I’ve got options.” He snatched the phone back and went through his contacts.

Half of the girls where bridges that had long since been burned while the other were the kind of girls you didn’t bring to important black tie events with photographers.

“Hmm.” He pursed his lips. “Wait…”

Keith looked at Allura, stared her up and down, his head tilted, then a smile she knew she shouldn’t trust spread across his face.

“No.” She shook her head.

“Allura.”

“No.”

“I have to show up with someone. You know how these things work.”

“No!”

_30 MINUTES LATER…_

“Frankly I think it’s a lovely idea. She can keep an eye on you and she’s already superior in quality to most of the problematic trollops you date.” Krolia shrugged while sipping from her mimosa filled flute.

Allura cursed under her breath as she sat next to Keith, both of them sitting across from Krolia. Keith smirked at her triumphantly as he drank his screwdriver.

“I agree.” Keith nodded.

“You’ll need a dress. Go to Naxzela, use the company card.”

“Yes Mrs. Kogane.” Allura nodded, sighing in defeat.

After brunch Keith and Allura went their separate ways. He attended the ribbon cutting which he found quite boring. He had his scheduled telephone conference in the town car while waiting in a drive-thru. He met Lance for drinks and strangely enough, kept it at two drinks before heading home to get ready.

When he entered his bedroom his tux was laid out on his bed with freshly shined shoes on the floor. He decided to shower again and got dressed, skipping the bowtie. He always felt like he was choking whenever he wore one and instead unbuttoned his shirt slightly. Normally he took his sweet time getting ready so that he could show up ridiculously late (and leave ridiculously early to wherever the after party was at) but this time around he seemed extra anxious to go check on his date.

He strode down the hallway to the room at the end and knocked on the door.

“Allura?”

“Take someone else.” Her voice sounded from the other side of the door.

“What?”

“I’m not going I’ve changed my mind.”

“You can’t change your mind open the door.”

“I think I’m feeling sick.”

She gave a fake exaggerated cough.

“Open the door” he said in a more demanding tone.

After a bit of a pause she threw it open and Keith’s heart stopped. Allura was a pretty woman, he could admit that, but at that exact moment she was a man killer and Keith was her first victim whether she intended it or not. He never expected her to know red was his favorite color and yet he took it as a personal assault that she chose a blood red low cut mermaid style floor length dress with thin straps that hugged every blessed inch of her body. Her hair was pulled into a low side ponytail with loosely curled strands framing her face. Once he’s studied her from the ground up his gaze landed on her red full lips.

“I look like an idiot.”

That was not the word he’d use. In fact there were a million other words that were better suited, some appropriate, some not so much.

“You look elegant and beautiful” he bluntly replied with a seriousness in his face she didn’t often see.

Allura’s whole body flinched before she nervously brought her hands together and fiddled with the sparkly bracelet on her wrist.

“Thank you…”

“Don’t be nervous. These things aren’t as fancy as they seem. Once you do the silly red carpet part and take some photos it’s all frou frou appetizers, cocktails and pretending to be interested in dull conversations.” He smiled.

She nodded and turned to grab matching red clutch off the bed before joining him and taking his offered arm.

“You look handsome” she muttered.

“Hmm?”

“You heard me.”

Keith smirked. He couldn’t wait to show up to the gala with her on his arm. People were going to talk and he couldn’t wait.

“You know if this works out tonight I should just have you be my date to all these things.”

She looked up at him and squeezed his bicep with a playful grin.

“You don’t pay me enough.”


	15. Maiden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There Goes The Bride
> 
> Just a little bit of wedding day jitters for a maiden who would very much like to remain the definition of a maiden

“You look beautiful Princess!”

“Simply lovely!”

“A vision in white!”

“Breathtaking!”

Allura stands in front of a large gold framed body length mirror as numerous attendants fuss with every inch of her. One pins flowers in her hair, another adjusts her gold circlet, another puts white pearl earrings in her long pointed ears while another tightens the corset of her wedding dress.

She doesn’t reply to the numerous accolades being tossed at her, simply giving a tight lipped smile at her own reflection.

“Cheryth” she states.

“Yes Princess?” A servant who is fluffing out her dress at her feet looks up at her.

“I’m feeling a bit peckish, too excited to eat this morning, would you mind fetching me a small bit to eat?”

“Oh yes Princess!” She nods and rises before scurrying out of the room.

“And Brindarry would you mind going with her? You always remember what I like.”

“Yes of course Princess!” The girl grins, proud that the princess has acknowledged how well she knows her in front of the others.

She leaves.

“What do you think Princess?” The girl putting in her earrings asks.

“They’re pretty, really, but I was hoping the wear the diamond earrings.”

The servant’s face falls, embarrassed at having picked the wrong ones, slightly irritated that she waited until every last one was in the mention she didn’t like them.

“I’ll get the diamond ones right away!” She runs out, flustered.

“Daena? Where is my bouquet?”

“I’m not sure princess.” Daena looks around.

“Please find it, I simply cannot walk down the aisle without my bouquet.” Allura feigns upset knowing damn well she hid her bouquet on the opposite end of the castle and it will take forever to get it. “And take Wynn with you. Two sets of eyes are better than one.”

The pair nods and exit the room in a hurry.

Allura stands there, looking at herself before her eyes wander to the door. Her ears twitch as she listens until she can no longer hear footsteps. The literal second she believes she’s in the clear she rushes to the door and shuts it, locking it. Without skipping a beat she dives under the bed and grabs the bag she has hidden there and runs to the giant tapestry on the other side of the room, pulling it aside to reveal a hidden passageway. The castle is littered with them and once everyone finds out she’s gone her uncle Coran is going to curse himself for teaching her the location of many of them. As she descends the stone spiral staircase with lantern in hand she turns right at the first corridor and throws the door open leading to her father’s treasury.

While the treasury is heavily guarded, said guards stand on the outside of the door so when she stumbles in she isn’t expecting to see someone standing there…with a sack…stuffing solid gold trinkets into it.

They stare at each other, blinking, dumbfounded. She has no clue who he is but he knows exactly who she is. He’s been casing the place for months.

“Aren’t  you supposed to be getting married?” was all he could blurt out.

“Are you stealing from me?”                                             

“I asked you first.”

“I…well yes, but…that’s irrelevant! Are you stealing from the royal treasury?”

“Well I’m not exactly dropping off a wedding gift.”

“Does that mean you have a way out of here?”

“Well I was going to go back out the way I came” He points to the window with his thumb.

“All right but after that, do you have a way to actually get out of the kingdom?”

“Yeah…” He really shouldn’t be telling her all of this.

“Splendid! I’m coming with you!”

She drops the bag and digs through it, pulling out clothes and a pair of boots.

“I’m sorry…what?!”

“Keep your voice down they’ll hear you!” she snaps as she reaches behind her back and starts to undo her dress. “A little help.”

“Are you insane?”

“Help or I start screaming” she orders.

He drops the sack and storms over to her, quickly unlacing the corset while muttering curses to himself, in complete disbelief at his current situation.

“Look, I get it. It’s a big day, you’re nervous, you wanna get away, but if they catch me with you they’re going to cut my head off” he grumbles through gritted teeth.

She spins around with a smile.

“Oh darling, if they catch you with what’s in that sack they’ll kill you anyway.”

Allura hurries back over to her bag pushing the dress off her shoulders. He quickly turns around just in time to avoid seeing things he definitely should not see, let alone of a member of the royal family.

“What’s your name?”

“Keith.”

“Keith nice to meet you, I’m Allura.”

He waves his hand with his back turned, trying to think of how he could weasel his way out of this.

“You can turn around now.”

Keith turns to find her buttoning up a shirt, her fancy updo having fallen apart in her rush to get dressed. She yanks a hooded cloak out, similar to his, and puts it on.

“Take what you can carry because we can never come back here. I’ll take you through the passageways, it’s much easier” she instructs, using the now free space in her bag to load up with jewels and gold coins.

“Are you robbing yourself?”

“I need running away money.” She shrugs.

Keith nods and continues stuffing his sack.

“Quick let’s go!” she orders and he followed her out the secret door she’d come through.

“So why don’t you wanna get married?” he asks as they dash through more secret passages.

“I don’t love him.”

“Does it matter? You’re rich.”

“I’d rather be poor than spend the rest of my life with a man I don’t love. Plus as a princess you don’t get freedom of choice in a lot of things…not just marriage.”

“What happens if they catch you?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Allura brings them to a door which she opens slowly while he blows out the lantern. The doorway is hidden behind a tall set of hedges and when they slide through the foliage they’re actually in the town square. It takes Keith a moment to gather his bearings before realizing exactly where they are. When he sees the grand fountain he grabs her by her cloak and tugs.

“My carriage is this way.”

She nods and follows. They keep their heads down and she sticks close to him. Her ears flicker as she starts to hear commotion in the distance.

“We need to hurry!” she hisses in his ear.

They dip into a wide alley and Allura is surprised to find Keith’s so-called “carriage” is nothing more than a horse drawn cart carrying large bales of hay. A child waits nearby and Keith flips him some coins for watching the cart. The boy’s face lights up and he runs off with his spoils.

“This is your carriage?” she says, turning her nose up at it.

“You don’t get to be picky. You want out of here or not?”

He takes her bag and his and tosses them in back before climbing up and holding out his hand for her to take, pulling her up.

“Get in, I’ll cover you.”

“But it’s itchy!” She pouts.

Keith rolls his eyes and grabs her by the hips, yanking her into him. She lets out a squeak at his boldness and their proximity.

“Complain one more time and I drop you off at the castle doorstep Princess” he whispers against her mouth.

“Understood.” She avoids his eyes nervously and clears her throat.

Keith smirks and gives her a gentle shove and she falls back into the hay with a yelp. He pushes the hay on top of her until she’s completely hidden before climbing up front and removing his cloak to reveal his plain clothes underneath. He pops a single straw of hay in his mouth, grabs the reigns, gives them a flick and the horse trots off.

By this time word of the lost bride had traveled through the square and the place is swarming with guards. As Keith approaches the drawbridge leading out into the countryside, anxiousness bubbles in his stomach. Two guards are posted there and they question everyone coming in and out.

“The princess has gone missing!” one guard says.

“On her wedding day no less!” the other chimes in.

“You don’t say!” Keith feigns surprise with a bit of an added drawl in his voice for effect.

“What do you know good sir?”

“Yes what do you know?”

Keith shrugs and shakes his head.

“Just a poor farmer gettin some hay for my cows.”

“I see, may we check your hay good sir? Checking everything to be sure” the first guard requests.

“To be sure!” the second adds unnecessarily.

Keith’s heart drops into his bowels.

“Uh…well…you see…”

He starts to sweat as they both head toward the back. Just as they’re about to stick their hands in a rat pops out and scurries away. The guards recoil in horror.

“Rats! I hate rats! Filthy creatures!”

“Filthy!”

“They carry diseases you know!”

“Will make you sick!”

Keith seizes the opportunity.                                                                               

“Yeah they just love the hay, can’t keep em’ out of it. Whole thing is crawlin with em!”

The hay pile shifts and Keith thinks he can hear a very faint whimper but the guards are too busy wiping imagined germs off their body to notice.

“Well no need to look then!”

“No need!”

“Carry on good sir!”

“Yes yes carry on!”

Keith gives them a proper nod and takes off down the dirt road. Once he’s sure they’re far enough away and there’s no one in sight he stops and hops in back, digging through the hay until he sees a familiar face. Allura has both hands clamped over her mouth with tear stained cheeks.

“Hey…” He smiles.

“YOU DIDN’T TELL ME THERE WERE RATS!” she wails.

He reaches in a wipes her face.

“I didn’t know there were going to be rats.”

“So that was the only one?” Her lip quivers.

“I think so. Look we’re pretty far out now so you’re free to go.”

Allura sits up and looks around. She’s never really gotten to see the countryside before. It looks big and beautiful and intimidating.

“Well…where are you going?”

“Marmora.”

“Where’s that?” She looks up at him with hopeful eyes.

“No.”

“What do you mean no?” she huffs.

“All I had to do was get you off castle grounds. Taking you with me after that wasn’t part of the deal.”

“So you’re just going to drop me off in the middle of nowhere?”

“Yes?”

“Keith!” she wines with tears welling in her eyes.

Keith looks at her, biting his lip as the ice cold casing around his heart cracks a little.

“Fine. Fine! I take you to Marmora but then that’s it! We’re done!”

She nods in a way that lets him know she’s not taking him seriously in the slightest.

“I mean it! I’m a dangerous man sweetheart and I go it alone. I don’t have time to babysit a princess ok?”

“Of course,” she coos at him and the veins on his forehead bulge, “so can I sit up front with you now?”

Keith rolls his eyes and gives up, for now.

“Yes, but keep your hood on. You kind of have a look that’s hard to forget.”

She giddily scrambles up front and sits next to him, bouncing in place.

“To Marmora!” She points excitedly.

Keith chuckles and shakes his head as he jerks the reigns.

“To Marmora.”


	16. Celestial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stardust in the Sand
> 
> She wasn’t a shooting star but she’s crashing and burning all the same...

“Leave me behind princess, you must escape above all else” he wheezed gruffly between gasps of air.

Allura huffed and ignored his request, hoisting him up by the waist, her bayard in her free hand.

His arm was draped around her neck and he could barely move his feet so she was essentially dragging him toward the fighter jet.

Altea was falling and burning, the sounds of battle and screaming echoing in her ears as she popped the doors open and tossed Coran inside. She buckled him in, ignoring the red splattered across his stomach as well the searing pain in her blood soaked side. A lot of the blood was hers, but not all of it. An explosion rocked the hanger and she stumbled over. She took a moment to catch her breath and swallow the pain before quickly getting back on her feet. She flung the bag on her back into the jet and scrambled inside. Dirty bloody fingers frantically pushed buttons and flipped switches as the main hanger door began to lift, the brightness of stars coming into view reflected in her eyes.

The jet powered up and as Galra soldiers began to pour into the room she pulled back a gear shift and the jet zoomed out into space, leaving them behind in fire and dust and smoke.

“Hang in there Coran!” she screamed to the man by her side.

She looked over to her companion quickly. His breathing was labored and his eyed fluttered opened and closed. Her hand reached over and squeezed his before she brought her attention to the Galra ships flanking her sides.

“QUIZNACK!”

She sped up, darting among other ships already locked in cross fire with her pursuers close behind. There was no way in hell she was going to lose them unless she…

“Well looks like we’re going on a little detour.”

With one hand steering she reached behind her, fumbling through the bag until her hands closed around a broken off chunk of crystal. She squeezed it tight and went full throttle as the blues and whites of her eyes faded into pure light and a glow surrounded her and bled into the jet until the entire ship was bathed in it. A small wormhole opened in front of her in the distance but was already closing as soon as it appeared. She had but a second to make this work. The ship zipped through the hole and closed immediately behind her. She didn’t know where she was going, it didn’t matter as long as they were away and safe, for now. The jump however had zapped every last ounce of strength and she blacked out before they even made it out the other side.

Worlds away Keith sat on the roof of his beat up old shack wrapped in a blanket with a mug of hot coffee looking at the sky. He liked to come up here occasionally and stare and the stars, see if he could properly identify the constellations, wonder what other life was out there. It was quiet, beautiful, peaceful. Once in a while he’d see a plane or a shooting star to interrupt the stillness and the bright streak he saw now cutting through the sky felt no different…

…at first.

But the light around it got brighter, in vibrant pinks and oranges and reds as if it was burning and it was falling so fast and down, down, down until it crashed into the dirt and sand in the far distance. Keith’s heart was racing. Without thinking, he scrambled down off the roof, knocking over the coffee as he went and dashed into his house before running back out slipping his arms into a jacket, a flashlight into his back pocket and hopping on his bike. As he zoomed toward the glow that was slowly getting weaker and weaker a million thoughts rushed through his head. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, and it was probably just a giant meteor rock, but damn even a giant rock falling from the sky would have been the most interesting thing to happen to him all month.

So imagine his surprise when it wasn’t a rock but a…plane? But it didn’t look like any regular plane he’d ever seen. It more resembled a fighter jet from his days at Garrison, but this model was nicer than that, way more advanced. Keith quickly leapt off and approached. Someone could be hurt, they could need help. The ship wasn’t on fire, but there was smoke pouring off it nonetheless.

Keith grabbed the handle and yanked, putting his all into before the hatch jerked open sending him stumbling back, hissing as the doors lifted up. He pulled out the flashlight and flicked it on. The light immediately shown on two bodies and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. He wanted to run. This was too much. He should get the police, go tell someone at Garrison, but what if they were still alive and needed help? And did he really want cops or agents or whoever else crawling all over this place?

He used the flashlight to inspect them a bit before getting closer, noticing how strange their clothes were. There was so much blood. The man had strange markings on his cheeks and elongated ears. The woman’s face was hidden by a mass of white hair.

Keith’s trembling hand reached out in front of the man’s nose. Nothing. He pressed two fingertips into the side of his neck. Still nothing. His hand recoiled and his lip trembled. He’d never seen a dead body before. He was already trying to push it out of his mind as he ran around the other side to check on the woman, perhaps there was still hope.

He brushed back her hair and pushed her head back. He gave it a moment, watching as her chest rose and lowered but barely. Keith let out a sigh of relief and quickly moved to undo her safety belt, holding the flashlight in his mouth as he worked. Her body was lighter than he anticipated and he awkwardly pulled her out and hoisted her onto the bike side saddle before slipping on behind her. He rode as fast as the bike could go to get home where he carried her inside, dressed her wounds to the best of his abilities and waited.

Keith barely slept between wanting to make sure he was awake before she was and trying to make sense of an advanced ship with people inside that didn’t look 100% human falling from the sky. There was a huge difference between theorizing on the existence of aliens and having an actual alien in your bed as you watch over her and pray she doesn’t slip away in her sleep.

When he was finally able to close his eyes for longer than 20 minutes, he woke up to fork at his throat and blue eyes with pink irises staring into his. Her hair was a fluffy mess covering half her face which looked frantic.

She opened her mouth and spoke, but the words tumbling out of her mouth made no sense to him. They were foreign, literally alien. She seemed to be asking or perhaps demanding something and when all he could do was shake his head and say “I don’t know” she dug the fork in farther and got louder.

“I don’t know!” he yelled back.

Allura bit her lip in frustration. He couldn’t understand her demands to know where Coran was and it didn’t seem right to impale him with this unusually small pronged weapon until they could properly communicate, especially since it appeared that he tended to her wounds. If he wanted her dead he would have done it already. She looked around but her bag was nowhere in sight. It must still be on the ship. If only she could find a way to tell him to take her back to it.

First she tried to sound out the words slowly. When he continued to look confused she tried something else. She moved her hand as if it soared through the air, trying to make sounds that imitated the last battle she remembered before bringing her hand down at an angle and making it crash into the bed.

“Your ship?”

Her eyes, distraught, searched his face trying to comprehend. He decided to mimic her hand movements and when he did so her face lit up. Finally they were getting somewhere. He held out her hand for her to take and she did so, hesitantly, only fully relying on it when she stood and realized she was still sore and in pain.

When they walked out back and she saw his bike she looked at it cautiously but got on. It was primitive looking compared to Altean hover cruisers and she was worried it might fall apart as they were riding it. Keith pulled up some ways away from the ship and parked, trying to stop her as she attempted to leap off the bike and hurry toward the ship which looked even more damaged in the morning light. He grabbed her by the shoulders, putting himself between her and the ship and tried to block her view. He didn’t know how to tell her her companion hadn’t made it.

Allura could’ve easily hurled him across the desert but she refrained since he was being so helpful for the time being, but she couldn’t determine why he’d take her all the way out there but not let her actually go to the ship.

Once more her eyes were reading his face and seeing the sadness there and the way he’d look over his shoulder at the hatch then back at her while shaking his head. Her face fell and with restraint, shoved him aside and hobbled toward the jet fighter. Her hand rested on the handle, shaking, before lifting it up. He looked so pale and broken and cold and the tears came quicker than she had the sense to stop them. Her fingers gently traced the features of his face, his markings, his mustache.

Keith stood from a distance and listened to her speak to the man in broken fragments between sobs before leaning in to press her lips against his forehead. She grabbed her bag and the stone out of the pilot’s seat and limped back to Keith, trying desperately to stifle her blubbering.

They rode back to the shack with her face buried in his back, her tears staining the back of his jacket.

When they returned home she sat on his bed sniffling while rifling through her bag as he sat on the couch trying to give her some space. He watched as she pulled out a set of earrings and a small tablet. She motioned him over.

Keith sat beside her on the bed and she handed him an earring, putting one in her own ear as an example of what to do. It was a purple tear drop and he put it in slowly. Allura then gently placed a hand to his jaw and moved it to make his mouth open and close while giving him a command in her alien language.

“Talk? Do you want me to talk?” He said.

She nodded and picked up the tablet, tapping the screen, scrolling. Keith noticed that the earrings started to blink. She waved her hand in way that signaled that she wanted him to keep going while holding the tablet near his mouth.

“Uh, well uh, I’m not sure what I should say. I’m glad you’re ok…and all this is really weird…and I’m sorry for your friend. My name is Keith. I hope you’re not scared.”

She seemed to be reading something on the tablet while simultaneously trying to listen. Then she finally opened her mouth.

“Keith” she repeated and touched his chest.

“Yes, yes I’m Keith!”

Her eyes flickered back and forth and she smiled with relief.

“I am Allura, daughter of…King Alfor of Altea” she said slowly, touching her hand to her own chest.

She was still speaking her alien language, but he could hear it in English through the earring. The sound of her voice, finally being able to understand her, put a giant grin on his face.

“Where is Altea?” he asked.

“Very far ” she said.

“I’m sorry about your friend” he apologized again.

“He was a good man, a brave man, like a second father. His name was Coran.”

“How did you get here?” Keith didn’t want to overwhelm her but he had so many questions.

“War. I escaped. I can make holes in the sky with this…” she held out the crystal. It was a pretty shade of teal and he, with her permission, ran his fingers over it.

“I can’t believe I’m sitting here with an alien” he muttered.

“Atlean” she corrected.

He laughed. To her, he was probably the alien.

“Are you hungry?”

Allura placed a hand to her stomach. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate or drank. Keith took her by the hand and led her around the shack, then outside, showing her where she could use the bathroom and shower. He offered her some of his clothes and gave her some privacy while he rifled through cabinets and a mini fridge for something to feed her. He recalled her saying she was the daughter of a king and suddenly wondered if it was appropriate to give a princess a cup-o-noodle.

15 minutes later she was back on his bed with wet hair and fresh bandages in his t-shirt and sweatpants greedily shoveling noodles in her mouth with the small pronged weapon that he had to explain to her wasn’t actually a weapon. Keith could see her face more clearly, noting how pretty she was and how the pink marks on her face gave off the faintest light once in a while.

“So what happens now?” he asked, mind still too cluttered to even wait for her to finish eating.

Allura slurped up the noodles and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I need to go back, but my ship is broken. I need a new ship.”

Keith pouted, his brow furrowed then perked up as soon as the idea popped into his head.

“I know where you can get a ship.”

She looked up at him, blinked.

“You have ships?”

“We’ll they’re not mine, but I know where you can get one.”

“…You mean steal?” Her head tilted.

“Only a little.” He said with a grin.

Keith had always told himself there was nothing, other than perhaps Shiro’s return, that could get him back on the grounds of Garrison. But now…

Now he was willing to make an exception.


	17. Scorpio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Make A Wish
> 
> I’m genie for you boy

Of course he was going to save her life if he could. He didn’t think twice about it. Little old lady steps into the street, car barrels down the road with not enough time to slow and not enough time for her to cross. He tackled her out of the way. She was shaken up, a bit bruised but ok.

“What a sweet young man” she cooed while cupping his face.

She pulled out her coin purse.

“Surely there’s something I can do to repay you.”

“Ma’am really it’s no probl-”

“Ah yes this is perfect!”

She pulled out a business card. Pink cardstock with the company name Genieology, Inc. in gold script across the top, “ _Your wish is our command”_ as the tagline underneath. There was an address but no phone number.

“Uh…thanks.” Keith smiled sheepishly.

“It’s more special than you think!” She patted him on the back with a chuckle. “Go when you’re ready to treat yourself, you deserve it!”

She hobbled away, cane tip tapping on the sidewalk. Well at least it wasn’t a quarter or something, although he could have actually made use of the quarter for laundry.

That night he laid on a worn couch staring at the water stained ceiling of his apartment. Tomorrow was his birthday and it would be just like any other shitty day. Too broke to do anything, no one to call. He pulled the pink card from his pocket.

“Treat yourself eh?”

He flipped it around a few times in his fingers before flinging it on the coffee table and heading off to bed.

That morning he stood in front of the office, card in hand, staring at the golden cursive letters over the door. It was funny because he’s had to have walked by this building millions of times on the way to the bus stop and yet never actually noticed it or looked inside. Pedestrians seemed to walk by the place as if it didn’t exist but surely a pink building would catch anyone’s attention? He thought of turning around and going back home, suddenly feeling silly, but what else did he have to do today other than wallow? If it turned out to be lame he’d just hop on the bus back to his apartment.

He pushed open the glass doors, taking in how clean and crisp and white everything was. That same gold looping font spelled out the business name over the reception desk where a blonde sat staring at him with bright eyes and a wide smile.

“Hello I’m Romelle and welcome to Genieology where your wish is our command! Do you have an appointment?”

“Uh no, but I have this card.” He handed it to her.

Romelle snatched it up, giving it a once over.

“Excellent! If you wouldn’t mind please sign in.”

He took a pink clipboard from her hands and filled out his name before handing it back.

“Thank you Mr. Kogane. If you’ll have a seat right over there your Genie Consultant will be right with you!” She gestured with a sweeping of her arm over to a waiting area.

Keith sat down. There were a few other people there, on their phones or reading the coffee table magazines. He still had no clue what kind of place this was but was too embarrassed to ask so he slipped his hands in his pockets and sunk down in the chair. He almost dozed off when the sound of his name spoken in a British accent roused him.

“Keith?”

Oh…she was cute.

Dark skin, the truest blue eyes, white long flowing hair half down, half up in a high ponytail accented with a tiny pink ribbon. She wore a pink pleated tennis skirt with matching pink polo and white sneakers. She carried a gold clipboard with one of those pens with the pom on the end. She appeared to be around his age.

“Hello Mr. Kogane, my name is Allura and I’ll be your Genie Consultant for today.” She held out her hand with a bright smile.

“Hey.” He shook it.

“Is this your first time at Genieology?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then you’re in for a treat! Shall we get started?”

“Does this cost money?” he blurted out.

“Oh no, the card you were given gifts you our services for the day. Someone must really like you!”

“I guess.”

“Follow me please!”

He did as she asked following her into a small cutely decorated office, taking a seat. He studied her desk. Her name plate was gold with the title _Junior Genie Consultant_ under it. She sat and clasped her hands in front of him with a large beautiful smile on her face.

“Before we get started we feel it’s best to do an introduction and brief consultation as the services we provide are quiet unique. Judging by your expression I take it you’re not entirely sure what we do here. Am I correct Mr. Kogane?”

“Incredibly.”

Allura giggled.

“Well I won’t beat around the bush Mr. Kogane. I’m a genie and here at Genieology we’re in the business of granting wishes!”

Keith just stared at her, blinking a few times.

“Oh like those foundations that grand wishes to sick kids and stuff? Like helping them meet a celebrity?”

Allura bit her lip as her eyes narrowed.

“Um, no Mr. Kogane, I mean like and actual genie. As in magical…a magic genie that grants wishes.”

Keith blinked some more.

“It would be better to show you. What would you like to eat, right now, at this moment?”

Keith was feeling skeptical but he figured he’d play along, thinking she was just being cute.

“I dunno,” he shrugged, “a breakfast burrito.”

Allura snapped her finger and a plate with said burrito suddenly poofed in front of him in a pink cloud which dissipated quickly. Keith couldn’t fling himself out of the chair fast enough and back against the door to her office, breathing so heavily and quickly Allura thought he might pass out.

“It’s a lot to take in, but know that here at Genieology we will take care of you and do our best to grant your every wish!” She grinned. Her voice sounded a tad robotic as if she had to repeat this schtick a million times whenever someone flipped out.

“Is this a dream?”

“No, but I hope to make today a dream come true for you!”

He waited for his heart to calm before slowly approaching the chair and slipping back down into it.

“Well for my first wish can you stop talking like a Disney Princess?”

Allura burst into laughter, placing one hand over her mouth, the other over her stomach.

“Ok ok, deal. Ready to go over the rules?”

“Rules?”

“They’re pretty simple.” She slid a pink paper over to him that appeared to be a contract of some sort. “You cannot ask for infinite wealth, omnipotence or death and or harm of another person or living being. Also, any wishes that would force me or anyone else to commit any sort of sexual act with you or fall in love you are strictly prohibited.”

“Oh…” Keith blushed, “people ask for that?”

“It comes up occasionally.”

“I promise I won’t be creepy.”

“Thank you.”

“How many wishes do I get, three?”

“I’m at your service until midnight Mr. Kogane. You may have as many wishes as you’d like.”

“So where do we start?” He pulled the paper toward him and signed it.

“With your first wish Mr. Kogane.”

Keith sat, thought. He couldn’t wish for infinite money but he could wish for something rich people do and that might be just as nice. He looked at the burrito she had just conjured up out of nowhere.

“Might be nice to eat breakfast on a fancy beach somewhere, like on tv, with like people bringing you drinks with those tiny little umbrellas.”

Allura grinned wide.

“You’ve got it!”

Allura snapped her fingers and suddenly Keith opened his eyes and pushed the sunglasses on his face up into his hair. He bolted up on the cushy lounger he was laying on and looked down to see he was in his swim trunks. There was a small table between them with round tray filled with meats, cheeses, fruits and breads as well as two glasses of champagne. A cabana sheltered them overhead. Allura lay on the lounger on the other side in a pink ruffle bikini. He tried not to gawk.

“Will this be suitable Mr. Kogane?” Allura said behind oversized white heart shaped sunglasses.

He looked at her, then out at the private beach as clear blue waves crashed toward the shore.

“Yeah, it’ll do for sure.” He chuckled as he lay back down, grabbing a strawberry on the way.

They chatted a bit, Keith stuffed his face, drank a little too much bubbles and took a quick nap. When he woke up Allura was busying herself building quite the impressive sand castle.

“Wow” he said as he strolled toward her.

“Enjoy your rest?” She looked up at him, pushing the floppy sun hat up from her face.

“Mhm…wanna get out of here?”

“Sure! What next?”

“Maybe go for a drive? I’ve always wanted to zip around in one of those ridiculously fast expensive rides.”

She nodded and in the time it took Keith to blink he was sitting in a cherry red convertible sports car on an isolated country road. Allura was standing in front of him in the street wearing a pink zip up jumpsuit with a checker print above the chest and a black strip down both sides. She jogged over to him in white boots.

“Do you love it?” She beamed as she slid in on the passenger side.

“I do.” He squeezed the steering wheel with one hand while running the other hand over the leather seat.

“There’s no one here so feel free to break the speed barrier in this thing.” She smirked.

She didn’t have to tell him twice and he revved the engine before slamming on the gas. Allura threw her hands up in the air as the wind whipped through her hair which seemed to only encourage him to go faster. It wasn’t his first time driving a fast car but this would definitely be his favorite memory of doing it, speeding down infinite road, lush green hills on either side of him, sunshine, pretty girl, the hum of the engine in his ears.

When he brought the car to a stop Allura giggled and clapped.

“Simply brilliant Mr. Kogane! A natural!”

“Thanks.” He bit his lip to try and contain his blush. “Coffee?”

“Mhm!”

Next thing he knew he was sitting on the outdoor patio of a café in a dapper suit looking at the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Allura sat across from him in a pink off-the-shoulder dress, bringing a bistro cup to her lips.

“I was thinking Starbucks but this works too.” He took a sip of coffee.

She winked and continued to drink from her cup. After coffee they walked around a bit, taking in sights and talking about all the places he’d love to visit.

“Since you’re a genie does that mean you can go anywhere and do anything you want?”

“It has its perks but also its limitations. There are a lot of rules and regulations, to keep any one of us from getting too…out of hand. The same rules we have for you we have for ourselves. I can’t make myself filthy rich, I couldn’t make anyone fall in love with me.”

“Like you’d have to force anyone to do that” he blurted out then quickly laughed it off.

“You’d be surprised how hard it is to have a normal relationship while hiding what you are. You never know if they’ll take it well, or be afraid of you, or take advantage of you. It can actually be pretty lonely.”

Allura looked ahead a bit wistfully, her lips curled in a pout.

“Anyway,” she changed the subject, “today is about you, so what next?”

Next was a pasta and wine lunch in Italy and after that a gondola boat ride. When Keith had a hankering to see snow she took him on a hike through the Swiss Alps in her pink snow suit and when that got too cold she whisked them away to relax in some hot springs. For a late dinner he wanted sushi in Japan and afterwards to hit up a bar or two.

“Lemme ask you something.” He swirled the ice in his drink and turned to her as they sat in a quiet booth in the back of a club. She had on a pink skin tight mini dress and her hair was in space buns.

“Shoot.”

“Do you pretend to have a good time with your customers?”

“Well me having a good time really isn’t the point or part of the experience. I’m simply there to facilitate the wishes, to watch in the background while you enjoy yourself.” She sipped from her martini glass.

“But did you have fun today?”

“I did and I mean that honestly. You’re a very nice man to spend time with Mr. Kogane.”

“Can you stop calling me that, it’s too formal.”

“Of course Keith.”

“Do you wanna dance? I’m not very good but it looks fun.”

“Is that your wish?”

“No, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Your choice.”

They stared at each other for a bit and she looked like she was thinking over the appropriateness of it before nodding.

“Yes, I will dance with you.”

Keith was being quite honest when it came to his dancing skills but it wasn’t like he was ever going to see any of these people again and so he let loose and danced his heart out with a beautiful woman.

As the clocked ticked closer to midnight Keith requested that they spend the final moments of the day watching a television on his couch in his shitty place. She wasn’t allowed to upgrade his apartment because rules, but she could fix the A/C and heater and with a zap of her finger his laundry was clean, pressed and put away neatly in his closet which is all he could’ve asked for honestly. He looked at her, her pink pajamas snacking on popcorn and smiled.

“Thanks for today.”

“The pleasure is mine Keith.”

She looked at her watch and her face fell.

“It’s midnight. I’m afraid I have to go.”

He nodded with a pout of his own and got up to walk her to the door. She grabbed his hand and held it out, palm up and placed her hand over it.

“Pay it forward. Give this to someone who deserves a little happiness of their own.”

When she lifted her hand there was a pink business card with gold lettering identical to the one the old woman had given him when he saved her life.

“Will do.”

She went to open the door.

“Allura? Can I ask one more thing?”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, the day is officially over.”

“It’s not a wish.”

“Ok…”

“Can I call you sometime?”

She blinked at him a few times.

“You know, maybe we could just go see a movie or grab pizza at Sal’s or something. It’s not Italy, but it could be fun. No wishes or magic, just us” he rambled on.

“No magic…just us?”

“Just us” he repeated.

She seemed to think about it for a while before quickly flipping her hand to suddenly reveal a black card tucked between her middle and index fingers. She handed it to him. Keith took it and looked it over. It had her name and phone number in gold text.

“Don’t lose it.” She smirked before stepping out into the hallway.

“I won’t.” He grinned.

“And Keith?”

“Hmm?”

She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks…”

He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck shyly. When he lifted his head again to tell her goodnight she was already gone.


	18. Opal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She’s Electric
> 
> Allura looks really good in leather pants

“You don’t need to pay for all my drinks.” Keith picked up his Old Fashioned and clinked glasses with Lance.

“You came to visit me all the way from Texas and I’m going to show you a good time.” Lance smirked. “If you want you can buy us breakfast burritos tomorrow cause I assure you my ass is gonna be hungover.” He knocked back a shot and immediately ordered another drink.

“So I’m gonna be honest Pidge in a band is…”

“Hot? Yeah I know.”

“I was gonna say not what I was expecting.” Keith took another sip and watched the crowd in the packed club, leaning back against the bar.

“If we were talking about high school Pidge I would’ve totally said the same thing, but she really branched out after we graduated. I think she got tired of everyone thinking she’s just some tech nerd hacker girl.”

“Well I mean I knew she was taking guitar lessons and you said she picked them up quickly but I would have never thought for a million years she’d want to be in a band.”

“I can’t wait for you to see her. She’s so cool when she plays. She’s really excited you’re here too.” Lance grinned and checked his watch. “I think they’re gonna start soon.”

People had already started crowding near the stage and the music they were playing over the speakers had begun to die down.  Lance and Keith finished their drinks and waded into the sea of people but were only able to make it half way in before they hit a wall of unmoving bodies and decided to stay put. By this point the drums were already assembled on stage and two guitars, a bass guitar and two microphones with stands were being brought out. A man who worked at the venue started doing sound check. Thirty more minutes and the MC was on stage attempting to hype up the crowd.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?!”

The crowd cheered.

“You guys ready to rock?!”

They cheered a bit louder.

“Well we’re very excited to have these talented ladies here tonight and we know you are too so let’s not waste anymore time shall we? Let’s hear it for Castle of Lions!”

Three ladies walked onstage to loud claps and hoots and whistles. A tall athletic tanned brunette with a short bob took her place behind the drums. A curvy blonde with low pigtails sauntered out and picked up the bass. Pidge came into view next. She wore her hair in a high messy ponytail. She’d switched out her regular thin silver framed spectacles for more stylish black glasses. She wore a black flannel that was tied at the waist, black cutoff shorts and black suspenders. Black combat boots finished off the look.

Pidge picked up her emerald green glitter guitar and fiddled with it a bit while she scanned the crowd. They hadn’t dimmed the lights yet and she was able to spot Lance and Keith quickly. Her face lit up and she motioned for them to come closer. Lance shook his head, signaling that they couldn’t move any further. Her nose scrunched up and next thing she was on the microphone.

“Hey move the hell out of the way so my boyfriend can come up front!” She snapped then immediately smiled.

The other two girls on stage laughed. Keith looked mortified. Lance just smiled proudly and brought Keith to the front row, right up against the stage, while people whistled at them and patted them on the back. Pidge gave a small wave and winked at the both while Lance made a kissy face at her.

“I love it when she’s sassy and authoritative.” Lance beamed while looking up at her.

The final girl came out on stage to more applause and hollering. Keith did a bit of a double take when he saw her. She wore a cutoff graphic tank top with black leather pants and kitten heeled red ankle boots. Her white hair was long and a bit wild, coming down over half her face. Her smoky eye makeup made her blue eyes even more vibrant. She picked up white guitar and slung it over her shoulder, tuning it a bit more and adjusting the strap before looking out into the audience.

“That’s a special edition opal white Fender Telecaster!” Keith blurted out, staring at the girl who, between her guitar and her hair, looked like the moon.

“I have no clue what you’re saying but keep it in your pants loverboy, it’s just a guitar” Lance said.

“Check, check check.” She said softly into the microphone. “Hi guys did you miss us?”

The crowd yelled.

“Good cause we missed you too and we’re so glad to be back here at Balmera. Thank you as always for having us.”

Her voice was soft and sweet like honey and Keith was surprised to hear a British accent. She turned to the other girls and placed a fingerless gloved hand over the microphone. She was checking with each girl to make sure they were ready. When they nodded she was back at the mic.

“Well if you guys are ready and we’re ready let’s do this!”

The crowed clapped and the lights dimmed.

“Who is she?” Keith whispered quickly in what little silence they had left.

“Allura.”

Pidge started off the song, strumming aggressively on her guitar. Lance was right, Keith thought, she did look pretty damn cool up there. Allura and the blonde joined in briefly before the drummer dropped a powerful heavy beat sending the whole crowd in an uproar. They began to clap in unison. The stage lights were a mix of reds and whites and strobes.

“You drink the wise blood. You're gonna hear about it. You'll be taken down brick by brick by brick. Burn the orphanage, you're gonna pay for it. They will purify block by block by block.”

“Demons, come on” she continued to sing with Pidge backing her up. “You've got a vision! You're on a mission! Demons, live on. And when I die, hang me high!”

Allura worked the stage during her lulls in singing, moving from one end to the other. She would turn her back on the crowd and take her hands off the guitar to push up her hair and roll her hips. The cutoff tank top she wore gave everyone a taste of what was clearly a full back tattoo. Keith could see the bottom of what looked like a lion and flowers. He swallowed hard.

“They're gonna bury you. They're gonna finish. They're gonna stand em up six by six by six. You pull the hood back. I wanna know, which way will the heavenly go? Take it down, take it down, take it down. Take it down, take it down, take it down.”

She was powerful and beautiful and seductive. One minute she seemed as if she was losing herself, out of control, next moment her mouth would curl into a devilish smile and she looked like a predator scanning the crowd for her pray. She spotted Keith in the front row and locked her gaze on him, eyes burrowing into his skull. She flashed him a grin with a playful lip bite. His breath caught in his throat.

“Demons, come on. You've got a vision! You're on a mission! Demons, live on. And when I die, hang me high!”

Now the crowd was singing the chorus along with her.

“Demons, come on. You've got a vision! You're on a mission! Demons, live on. And when I die, hang me high!”

Pidge played a short solo for a moment while Allura whipped her hair around before bringing her lips back to the mic.

“And you will answer to no one else but me. And you will answer to no one else but me. And you will answer to no one else but me. And you will answer to no one else but me…”

The song ended and the crowd erupted into applause and howls. Allura stood there for a moment with her hair completely covering her face, breathing heavily. She finally pushed her hair back with her hands and sauntered to a nearby stool with bottled water and took a sip. Keith didn’t even clap at first, he just stood there a bit dumbfounded, staring.

He did that a lot for the rest of the set, just staring, listening, taking her in as she sang and screamed and howled into the mic. During the upbeat songs she was electric and during the slower songs absolutely alluring. At one point during a more sultry song Allura crawled on her hands and knees and licked the side of Pidge’s boot during her guitar solo which sent the audience into a frenzy.

Before Keith knew it, to his disappointment, the show was over. The girls were bowing, having given the crowd two additional encores and were exiting the stage. Lance led Keith back to the bar to order drinks for the girls who he knew would join them eventually.

“So…what did you think?” Lance smirked sipping a fresh cocktail.

“Pretty good.” Keith said cooly.

“They actually played some of that emo shit you live for and that’s all you can say?”

“Fine. Pretty damn good. Happy?” Keith said while seemingly looking around for someone.

“She’s not seeing anyone in case you were wondering.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Lance flashed Keith a very knowing look.

Keith was about to snap at him when a pair of hands hugged Lance from behind. Lance straightened up and spun around to see Pidge grinning at him. He wrapped his arms around her neck and bent down to give her a slow kiss, which turned into a mini makeout session given how much Lance had already had to drink.

“You were amazing up there.” He placed more tiny pecks on her lips.

“Thank you. You smell like vodka.” She laughed into his mouth.

“I got you some too don’t worry.”

“Good boy. Keith!”

Pidge pulled away and dove into Keith for a warm hug. He smiled and ruffled her ponytail.

“What did you think?”

“You guys were amazing. Very cool Ms. Lead Guitar.”

Pidge beamed and did a little curtsey. She then took the drink Lance had gotten for her and sucked it down.

“Please tell me one of those is for me.” Keith heard a familiar voice from behind him. He straightened up.

“Of course.” Lance handed it to Keith purposely to give to her with grin.

Keith shot him a death glare before turning around to hand it to Allura.

“Allura, this is my friend Keith from out of town, Keith this is Allura.”

“Thanks.” She took the drink from him. “Nice to meet you.”

“You’re good” he fumbled his words out. “I mean you’re singing is good, the songs are good.”

He quickly gulped down his drink to stop the rambling. Allura snickered and sipped her drink.

“The girls got a booth, wanna join them?” she suggested.

Everyone got more drinks before joining the other girls who introduced themselves as Shay and Romelle. Lance and Pidge, being the little assholes they were, made sure to quickly dive into the booth leaving Keith no choice but to sit next to Allura. Keith mostly sat quietly, partly soaking up the conversation, party acutely aware of how Allura’s shoulder was pressed against his and she smelled an intoxicating mixture of perfume and sweat.

“So you’re from Texas” her voice finally cut through his wandering mind.

“Huh?”

She leaned in and got dangerously to his ear, her lips actually brushing his lobe. He shivered.

“I heard you’re from Texas.”

“Uh-um yeah well I was born there and then we moved here but then I went back for school.”

“Cool.”

She brought her glass to her lips but didn’t drink, simply resting it there.

“So,” she continued, “Is your girlfriend going to be ok with the fact that you’re here with a bunch of girls getting drunk at some dive club?”

He almost choked on his jack and coke.

“I, uh, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh,” she finished off the last of the cup’s contents before placing it down, tapping the glass with her nails, “that’s cool too.”

Keith’s brow arched.

Allura had been sitting at the edge of the booth and excused herself to get a new drink.

“Keith, buddy, you look like you could use a drink too.”

Keith’s forehead crinkled and he looked down at his half full glass.

“No I don-”

Lance cleared his throat loudly to cut him off before motioning with numerous quick nods towards the bar where Allura was standing, very much alone.

“Oh…OH! Yes, I should go freshen this up.” He quickly slid out and made a beeline toward the white haired singer.

Lance shook his head as he threw an arm around Pidge, kissing her temple.

“God this kid. I have to do everything for him” he grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song I have them play in this fic is ["Demons" by Sleigh Bells](https://youtu.be/g0_BlUbGBSo). I love their music, you should check them out if you've got time.


	19. Luminous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night and Day
> 
> What big eyes you have

He and his men starting hunting the white wolf three weeks ago and it was three days ago that the rest of them gave up and went home, feeling like the thing has lead them in circles, but Keith remains, refuses to give up. The white wolf is a menace. It ravages their flocks, occasionally drags a horse off in the night. People who claim to have seen it say it’s as big as an ox. The women and children are afraid. It hasn’t killed a human yet but it’s only a matter of time, or at least that’s what the louder alarmists in the town are saying. So Keith, wanting to do his best to keep his village safe, continues the hunt.

And he’s close, closer than he’s ever been before. He’s wounded it and now follows a blood red trail in the snow, as red as the cloak he wears. He’s cold and tired, his black hair dusted white with frost, but he can’t stop now.

As the full moon disappears and makes way for the oncoming sunrise, he creeps silently through the brush as he hears the faint whimpers of the hurt beast. He pulls the branches back gently with his hand and follows the crimson droplets with his eyes until he sees the cursed thing, laid out by the edges of a lake, writhing in pain. The wolf is abnormally large but it’s…shifting? Changing? Shrinking?

Keith watches in fascinated horror as the bones crack and twist, as the fur falls away and becomes skin and hair, as claws become nails and the dog-like whines become human cries.

She lays there naked, dark skin a stark contrast against the snow, but hair as white as winter. Condensation pours from her mouth and nostrils as she gasps for air, blue eyes staring at the sky, focusing on something distant as her hands move toward the arrow in her side. She clenches her teeth and shuts her eyes as she swiftly snaps off the arrowhead with a pained growl. Her eyes and mouth opens again, sucks in air before slowly rolling over on her side. Every moment is hell, but nothing compared to what she has to do.

“Wait” Keith calls out foolishly.

Her head jerks in his direction and she tries to quickly turn her body but the sudden flash of pain immobilizes her and she yelps.

Keith quickly scurries out of his hiding place and to her side to stop her as she struggles and tries to get away.

“Stay still, please I won’t hurt you.” He tries to hold on to her.

“Lies” she spits at him. “I know your arrow hunter.”

“I didn’t know…” is all he can say.

He’s never seen such a thing, never known of such creatures, of such magic, but had he honestly known his actions may have been different.

“I will not cause you any further harm, that I promise you.”

He holds her down firmly, waiting for her to stop hissing at him. When she calms he pulls his bag from over his shoulder and proceeds to tend to her injuries. He uses his knife to cut off more parts of the arrow on both ends until it’s just the smallest portion.

“This is going to hurt.”

“As if it didn’t before” she mutters.

He comes around to her front and removes his cloak and drapes it over her in parts, putting the bulk of it in her hands.

“Bite down” he orders.

The scowl hasn’t left her face and she sniffs the cloak profusely, noting his scent, before shoving the fabric in her mouth. The gag muffles her screams and tears pour down her cheeks as he pulls. Once the fragment is out Keith moves in quickly to bandage the wound and he finds himself suddenly grateful for his poor aim having missed any organs.

When he’s finished he absentmindedly goes to stroke her hair and she flinches. He moves his hand away and instead straightens out the cloak to cover her completely.

“Please understand, you’ve frightened my village” he says softly.

“Please understand, I need to eat” she grumbles.

“Perhaps we can compromise.”

She looks up at him with her big blue eyes.

“I can bring you meat, just please stay out of the town. They’re scared, they’ll hurt you.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Keith chuckles.

“You’re a stubborn thing aren’t you?”

She glares and snuggles deeper into the cloak.

“Are there others like you?”

“I am the last of my pack.”

“Where do you live when you’re…like this?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?!”

She attempts to sit up in protest but the pain knocks her back down.

“Apologies, I’ve just never met a…”

“Werewolf.”

“I’ve never met a werewolf. You’re supposed to be nothing more than a scary story we tell the children so they’ll mind their parents.”

This seems to amuse her.

“So where do you live?” he continues.

“You insist on being a nuisance do you? Isn’t shooting me enough?”

“You can’t stay out in the cold like this, you’ll get sick.”

“If I bring you to my home you return with your men and your torches and your weapons. I am no fool.”

“I promised I wouldn’t hurt you and I meant it. Please.”

She ponders his proposal. She’s weary of him, but also freezing and sore and she hasn’t eaten well in days because she’s needed to stay one step ahead of them, lead them this way and that. She also knows she can’t walk well in her condition.

“Fine” she utters so quietly he almost misses it.

Keith helps her to her feet as gently as possible, but she grunts and whimpers all the same. He was too much in shock and disbelief and worry to notice her nudity before but he notices now and tries to dress her properly in the cloak without actually looking at her…but he looks and a heat rises in his stomach and cheeks.

“How far?”

“Across the lake and over the hill.” She points weakly.

He nods and swoops her up in his arms. She tries to protest but gives in quickly. She’s far too feeble at the moment and he’s determined to be heroic.

Her cottage is where she promised. It’s small, a single room, just enough for one person. He lays her down gently in the bed and quickly sets out to start a fire in the hearth. When the fire takes and he doesn’t have to keep stoking it he sits and warms his hands. In that time she’s managed to get herself off the bed and has crawled over to join him, laying on the rug beside him.

“I put you in the bed stubborn woman” he quips.

“But it’s warmer here.” She lays and stares at the flames, curled up in his cloak as if it was always hers.

They sit in silence for a while listening to the faint crackles of the burning wood.

“What do they call you?” he asks.

“Monster.”

“Be serious.” He smirks.

“Allura.”

“Well Allura they call me Keith.”

“A thorn in my side sounds more appropriate.”

Keith laughs.

“Your mouth is certainly sharp.”

She says nothing, but out of the corner of his eye he can see her smiling triumphantly at her little dig.

“I agree to your deal” she mentions suddenly as her stomach grumbles.

“Hmm?”

“That you’d bring me meat.”

Now it’s Keith’s turn to smile triumphantly.

“I can bring you rabbits” he offers.

She looks up at him again and he really can’t believe the innocent soft looking face he’s staring at now is the same wolf he was hunting earlier.

“I like rabbits.”


	20. Gossamer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Masquerade
> 
> I’ve got you in my web

Allura had been staring at the proposal for so long, lost in the details, that the envelope flopping down on her desk actually startled her.

“Easy there.”

“Sorry, I have until the end of the day to submit this, gotta make sure it’s five by five.”

“I’m sure father will approve.”

“I’d rather stand in front of a firing squad, less pressure” she said.

“We wouldn’t have hired you if you couldn’t handle it.”

Allura picked up the envelope and leaned back in her leather office chair, adjusting her glasses as she inspected it, turning it over to see a red wax seal on the back.

“Fancy. What am I looking at?”

“Just a little shindig I throw every Halloween.”

“Aren’t you a little old for this type of thing Lotor?”

“Oh this is a very adult affair I assure you.” He sat on the edge of her desk, fiddling with her name plate.

She slipped her manicured finger in the flap and broke the seal.

“Invitation only so don’t forget to bring that with you or you don’t get in. Oh and no plus ones.”

Allura’s brow arched.

“See you there.” Lotor winked before casually striding out of her office.

The night of the party Allura found herself striding up a grand walkway toward a mansion she’d never been to before with butterflies in her stomach. Her black gossamer lace gown with spider web details hugged her curves as she moved, giving peeks of her skin underneath in addition to the blatant slits up the sides. The black and gold horned masquerade mask on her face shifted and her hand quickly went to the back of her head to make sure it was tied securely while still trying to hold her umbrella. This was the most decadent thing she had ever worn, so much so that she felt nervous and slightly wishing Lotor had thrown some frat level house party instead. Knuckles gently rapped against the wood a few times.

The door slowly opened where a masked doorman took her umbrella as well as her invitation. Many guests were already there, dressed in their finest, all masked. Allura had no idea who was who save for the tall white haired bachelor who strode toward her. He wore a long deep blue coat with beaded embellishments and his mask resembled the top part of a skull with the nose elongated.

“You look ravishing.” Lotor took her hand and kissed it.

“This place is insane, who’s house is this?”

“Nothing to worry your pretty little head about. In fact you’ll enjoy this evening to its fullest the less questions you ask. Care for a drink?” He snagged a waiter as he walked by. Allura took a flute of champagne.

“Come let me show you around” he continued.

Lotor gave her a tour of the ballroom and the gardens before stopping to introduce her to some acquaintances. Allura smiled, shook hands, nodded at the small talk with feigned amusement. Wanting a non-suspicious escape she downed the contents of her flute quickly and excused herself to the bar set up in the mansion’s library to get a fresh drink.

“May I have a dirty martini please?”

“How dirty?”

“Filthy.”

The bartender nodded and started pouring contents into a shaker.

“Filthy…” a voice next to her repeated.

Allura glanced to her left find a dark haired stranger next to her. Black on black, the coat velvet, the shirt unbuttoned just enough. His hair was purposely messy, his mask a golden take on Phantom of the Opera. His cologne wafted into her nostrils.

“Make that two” he finally spoke again.

The bartender acknowledged his request as he poured Allura’s drink into a glass and pushed it over. She took a sip as she contemplated whether she should strike up a conversation. She was terribly awkward when it came to flirting, but in this dress and with this mask perhaps she could pretend to be someone confident in the matters of the heart for a single evening.

“Allura?”

She turned in the other direction at the sound of her name.

“Nyma? Is that you?”

“In the flesh!” The blonde from accounting spun around to show off her blood red dress. Her mask resembled a butterfly.

“You look amazing!” Allura went in for a hug.

“Hoping to snag a certain Mr. Holt tonight.” She smirked while posing with her hands on her hips.

“Is everyone from work here?”

“Oh god no. Only those who Lotor deems worthy. I see you’ve made the cut.”

Allura shrugged playfully.

“Now before I sink my teeth into Mr. Honey Eyes let’s make the rounds to see what other eligible men are here. I like to have options.”

Nyma hooked her arm around Allura’s, pulling her away from the bar. Allura looked back over her shoulder to catch the mystery man staring her down as he sipped his dirty cocktail, filthy in fact. She inhaled sharply.

“So then I said this cheese tastes gouda!” Matt quipped which elicited polite chuckles from the group. Nyma giggled and slapped his arm.

Allura laughed, despite finding the joke quite corny. Her gaze started to wander as Matt started another story until she met eyes with the dark hair stranger from before. He was standing with Lotor and a few other guests. Lotor could be her in if she was willing to take it. She took a large gulp and excused herself.

“Ah Allura,” Lotor welcomed her into the small circle the group had formed, giving her the space between himself and the man in black, “having fun?”

“A lovely time.”

“Allura these are some friends of mine. Axca, Ezor, Kolivan, Regris and Keith. Miss Altea is our newest hire.

Everyone exchanged pleasantries before resuming whatever conversation they were having before Allura cut in. Keith didn’t talk much with the exception of the occasional witty or sarcastic one-liner, each time making sure to look at her when he talked. At some point in the conversation his phone went off.

“No working.” Lotor snapped.

“I’ll be quick excuse me” Keith apologized.

As he stepped away from the group he placed his hand on Allura’s back, running his fingers down her spine slowly as he pushed past her. No one else noticed. Allura let out an audible gasp.

“Everything ok?”

“Uh heh of course, just got a bit of a chill.” She smiled and waved it off, getting back to the conversation.

Some time had passed and Keith didn’t return to the group. Allura attempted to be nonchalant as she scanned the room for him. She’d all but given up hope when she spotted him casually sauntering up the staircase, one hand in his pocket the other holding his drink. Before she could even get her thoughts straight she was already making up some excuse about needing to use the ladies room in order to get away.

This was silly. Was she really about to follow him like some pining puppy? With each step Allura took toward the second floor the answer appeared to be yes. As she traversed the hallway she couldn’t help but notice couples tucked away in dark corners, bedroom doors shut with light pouring through the cracks, muffled laughter, muffled…she felt a tightening in her chest.

She almost missed him as the door to the office was only slightly ajar.

“Lotor send you to retrieve me?”

“Is he that predictable?” She slipped inside.

“He worries I’m not being sociable enough sometimes.” Keith was sitting on the desk, flipping through the pages of a novel he’d pulled from the shelf.

“Events like this can be overwhelming. Stealing some quiet time is understandable. I can leave you alone if you’d like.” Allura offered.

“Considerate, but a man would be foolish to turn you away in a dress like that.”

Keith snapped the book shut and set it aside. Her breath shuddered.

“So you didn’t answer my question from before. Did Lotor send you?”

“I sent myself” Allura replied in a brief moment of boldness.

“Hmm well you’re free to go but if you plan on staying I’d close the door.” Keith suggested as his eyes narrowed on her.

She took a deep breath, her thoughts swirling. She turned on her heel and walked to the door.

And shut it.

And locked it.

A smirk spread across Keith’s face.

Sometime later Allura returned to the party, finding Lotor by the bar.

“Well well, there you are. You’ve been gone a while. Enjoying the party?” he said with a lilt in his voice as he gave her the once over.

“Yes, lovely.” Allura sounded out of breath and her skin appeared flushed. She hailed the bartender and ordered another martini.

Lotor looked at her more intently then chuckled and leaned in.

“You’re wearing the wrong mask” he whispered in her ear.

“E-excuse me?” she stammered.

“Your mask, you’re wearing Mr. Kogane’s mask I believe.”

Allura’s heart stopped.

“And I’m guessing those scratches on your back belong to him too.”

Her hair was currently over her shoulder and she quickly pushed it back to cover up the markings.

“I…well I can explain…”

Lotor laughed and waved her off as he took her freshly made drink and handed it to her.

“As I said in the beginning of the night Ms. Altea, you’ll enjoy this evening to its fullest the less questions you ask.”


	21. Blade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heirloom
> 
> A gift fit for a princess…

“Don’t. Say. Anything.”

“I wasn’t.” Allura put up her hands trying to suppress a smile as she walked in the room. The attendants parted when they saw her and bowed briefly.

“You want to say something, just do it already.”

The young lady stood there arms crossed, huffing in annoyance at her reflection. She smoothed her hands down her long sleeved gown. The bodice and sleeves were a deep dark navy which faded into a lighter blue toward her feet. It was embellished with silver beading and crystals. She looked like stars in the night sky. She was Allura’s star in a dark sky.

“Well…if I was going to say something I would tell you that you look beautiful and if this is just a test run I can’t wait to see you all put together tomorrow evening.” Allura stood beside her and gently combed her fingers through her daughter’s mid length black and gray ombre hair before placing her hands on her shoulders.

“I just don’t understand why I can’t wear whatever I want.”

“Because you’re a princess Mina and your sixteenth birthday is an important event and you must look presentable.”

“The dress is too fluffy. It’s bullshit.”

“Oh the colorful language you learn from your father.”

Allura kissed Mina’s temple, causing the girl’s pink cheek marks to glow ever so slightly against her dark skin. She was a stubborn young thing, but she always softened under her mother’s affection.

“Speaking of your father,” Allura continued, “he’d like to talk to you in the training quarters when you’re done with your fitting.”

“Fine. Can I at least skip the tiara?” Mina turned as her mother left the room.

“Absolutely not. And you’re going with an escort.” Allura’s voice boomed from the hallway.

Mina growled as her violet eyes turned yellow. The attendants tending to her quickly backed away.

“I don’t need an escort I’m practically an adult!” She screamed, barring her quickly formed fangs and stomping her feet.

After practically tearing herself out of the dress and slipping on her black training jumpsuit she dashed off to find her father.

The doors slid open at her presence and she stepped inside, simultaneously pulling her hair up into a high ponytail.

“Hi daddy!”

“Hello starlight.”

She went to approach him and nearly fell over, stumbling over the wolf that had suddenly teleported right in front of her. He jumped up on his hind legs and placed his paws on her stomach, licking toward her face.

“Heh hey Koz.” Mina ruffled his fur while scratching behind his ears.

“Before we train today I wanted to talk to you.”

Keith walked over to a bench and sat down, patting the space beside him. A lump rose in Mina’s throat.

“Am I in trouble?”

“Did you do something I should know about?” He rose a suspicious eye brow while stroking the stubble on his chin.

“No! Nothing at all, continue!” Mina laughed nervously.

Keith chuckled and grabbed something wrapped in parchment he had placed near him. He handed it to her.

“What’s this?” She gently ran her fingers over the paper.

“A gift.”

“Daddy my birthday isn’t until tomorrow.”

“I know, but I want you to have it now. It’s not really appropriate for the party anyway.”

A grin spread across Mina’s face and she tore the present open then unfurled the object that was bound in cloth very carefully.

“Dad…” her voice suddenly got very quiet.

“Your mother and I discussed it and we decided it’s time. It was given to me by your grandmother and now I give it to you.”

The knife felt light in her hands, freshly sharpened and polished, the Marmora insignia on the hilt.

“Thank you…it means everything, it really does.” She turned and hugged her father who embraced her warmly. He kissed her forehead.

“You’ve been working very hard and your skills have proven that you’re ready. Wanna test it out?”

“Yes!”

She hopped up and Keith walked over to the control panel in the room to summon a few bots for her to use her new blade on.

“Daddy?”

“Yes honey.” Keith turned to her with a smile.

“Since I’m ready for so many new responsibilities now as an older and more mature young woman…when do I get a lion?”

Keith gave a hearty laugh and pressed a button. Four bots rose up from the open panels in the floor.

“Don’t press your luck kiddo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is first time ever envisioning a Kallura child. It's kinda fun dreaming up how they'd look and what their personality would be like.


	22. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shared Space
> 
> The realtor conveniently left out a lot of things…

The keys jingle in Keith’s hand as he slides it into the lock and turns. There’s a click and he pushes the door open.

“Welcome home Mrs. Kogane” Keith says sweetly before quickly sweeping his wife up in his arms to carry her across the threshold.

Allura squeals then erupts into giggles before begging him to put her down.

“Stop! Keep fooling around and you’re going to make this baby pop out early!” She slaps his arm before bringing her hands to her round belly and rubbing it.

Their large husky Kosmo runs back and forth in the front yard.

He takes one of her hands, kisses it, before they both look around at their new home, the start of their new life.

 

_DAY 3_

“I think the heater’s broken” Allura says nonchalantly as she stands at the stove making scrambled eggs.

“Hmm?” Keith looks up from his laptop at the dining room table.

“The heater is broken. It was absolutely freezing last night. I went to the bathroom and I could practically see my breath.”

“Oh, sorry baby, I’ll look into it and if I can’t figure it out I’ll call someone.”

“Thank you honey.”

 

_DAY 7_

Keith paints the walls in the soon-to-be nursery, taking a moment to wipe his brow. He turns to change the song on the stereo when he sees Allura pass by the door out of the corner of his eye.

“Hey honey can you get me some water? Honey?”

He pokes his head out the door to see her standing at the window at the end of the hallway, her back to him. She’s in a long pink dress he’s never seen before, but then again her closet is filled with clothes he hasn’t seen yet. She loves a good sale.

“Honey?”

He walks toward her. She’s unmoving, won’t acknowledge him.

“Hey space cadet I’m talking to you.”

He reaches out to touch her shoulder.

“Darling I made some lemonade with lavender. Do you want some?” Allura says as she comes up the stairs.

Keith whips around at the sound of her voice behind him. When he looks forward nothing is there. He looks back at Allura, face pale. She’s holding two glasses of lemonade. She’s wearing sweats and a t-shirt with her hair in a messy high bun.

“Are you ok? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I uh…heh, I’m fine.” He smiles and walks toward her.

 

_DAY 16_

Allura stands in the kitchen unpacking additional dishes. She realizes in that moment that they have far too many mugs. She smiles at Keith’s “Fuck Mondays” cup and goes to put it on the shelf. A pair of hands slide around her stomach, a nose nestles in her neck.

“Hi” she says playfully.

“Hi.” He kisses her skin. His voice is deep, rough.

She hums contently as he continues to drag his lips along her shoulder, pressing his body against hers. She can feel his want of her digging into her backside.

Allura licks her lips, bites them.

“Really? Right now? This what got us into this mess in the first place” she jokes and places her free hand over his on her tummy.

“What got us into this mess in the first place?” Keith asks as he stands in the doorway. He seems to be getting more paint on himself than the walls.

Allura gasps and drops the mug and it shatters at her feet. Keith rushes to her side, pushing her gently away so she won’t step on the ceramic fragments.

“Baby are you ok?”

Allura wrings her now trembling hands as she looks frantically about the room.

“I…but you were just…It was you, I heard your voice, I felt you.”

“What?” He looks up at her with concern.

Allura shakes her head and refuses to speak on it further.

 

_DAY 21_

“It’s not a bad feeling necessarily, it’s just…an unusual feeling that’s all. There’s something in this house. I can feel it” Allura says while they sit in bed, resting a cross stitch she was making for baby’s room on her stomach.

“Look I’ll admit some weird shit has happened, but I don’t think I’m ready to call a priest just yet, that’s all I’m saying.” Keith adjusts his glasses and puts down his book.

Keith does his best to reassure her before bed and she sleeps snuggling in his arms with Kosmo curled up at their feet. They wake up to their bedroom door open. They could’ve sworn they closed it the night before.

 

_DAY 30_

The minor renovations are done and, with Shiro’s help the day before, they’ve put together the crib, assembled the furniture and the nursery is ready for decorating. The boxes of the baby’s items are in the basement which Allura curses at herself for putting there given the events of the past month. She could just ask Keith but she doesn’t want to look like a baby herself so she goes down alone. Luckily most of the boxes are right by the bottom of the stairs so she won’t have to go far.

Allura hasn’t really been in the basement at any length, she hasn’t looked around. There was some left over furniture and boxes from the previous tenants that they never took with them and she grumbles that they left so much that she will now have to arrange to be removed.

As she sits on the bottom step rifling through boxes, figuring out which one to bring up first, a crash comes from the back of the room behind some shelves as if something has fallen over. She jumps at the sudden sound. Her heart is pounding when suddenly Kosmo shows himself, hanging his head when he’s knows he’s gotten into trouble.

“Oh thank god!” Allura sighs with relief and places a hand over her heart.

She gets up and goes to the pup, petting his head.

“Ok what did you break?” She asks and, as if he understands her question, he leads her to the scene of the crime.

There’s an old jewelry box turned over on the ground, its contents spilled everywhere.

“Way to go.” She reprimands her fur son and kneels down to clean up the mess.

As she goes to put the box back she looks up.

Keith is washing his hands in the kitchen sink when he hears her screaming his name in a way that sends fear ripping through him. He bounds down the basement staircase, skipping steps as he goes and finds her in the back, tucked behind a wall of shelves with Kosmo by her side.

“Lu what’s wron-” He tries to comfort her but his words die in his throat as he notices what she’s staring at.

A painting sits propped up on an old dresser. It looks old, covered in dust and cobwebs. A lone soft yellow bulb shines down on it as if it was a gallery art piece.

It’s a portrait of couple. His hair is black as night, her hair white as snow. She sits, while he stands with his hand on her shoulder. Their clothes are dated, something out of the 1920s. Her dress is pink. A dress Keith has seen before. She’s very, very pregnant.

“What is this?” Allura can barely speak above a whisper, a single tear falls down her cheek. She can’t stop shaking.

Keith doesn’t have an answer. What could he possibly tell her as they look upon this painting that’s more like looking in a mirror? His blood feels like ice.

They stand there, frozen, not realizing they’re currently being watched. They have been watched for some time now.

Just turn around…

This house has been waiting for them. 

They have been waiting for them.

To come home.

 

 

_We’re together and where ever we go after this we’ll be together there too…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These collections are always a blast to work on and I'm glad I challenged myself to try and do most of the prompts. I hope you enjoyed them too. Happy Halloween!


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